


Charlie in Wonderland

by handalove



Category: Harry Styles - Fandom, One Direction (Band)
Genre: Charlie's an art student, F/M, Harry Styles - Freeform, Harry Styles Fanfic, Harry Styles Fanfiction, Harry's a history major, He befriends her, Zayn Malik - Freeform, a story in which Charlie really likes to draw Harry, and Charlie loves that about him, and Harry Styles of course, and capture his body with her art supplies, and paint him, and she becomes friends with the rest of the 1D gang through him, but she's all the opposite things, he's cheeky and confident, her best friend is Zayn, it's a cute story about art and romance, she learns to deal with the ever present urge to draw him
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-05-12
Updated: 2014-06-22
Packaged: 2018-01-24 13:11:06
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 8
Words: 42,611
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1606376
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/handalove/pseuds/handalove
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>| *Charlie likes to draw. She likes to draw clothes, and buildings, and flowers. And she likes to paint to, mostly sunsets. But she never meant to like drawing Harry so much, and quite frankly it wasn’t her fault at all, since he was the one with the body like a wonderland.* |</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> When Harry met Sally...I mean Charlie.

I flip through Zayn’s sketchbook and feel like rolling my eyes. Not because of what I find, but because of the amount of skill I finds in his drawings. And it’s not even that I’m jealous, cause to say that would be an understatement. On second thought, the word jealous does pretty much sun things up for me. But it’s always been like this for as long as I could remember.

I’ve been family friends with Zayn for years now, us both being from Bradford. He’s like an older brother and always has been it seems. So of course I know of his incredible artistic talent, and of course I’m, a bit, jealous of it, but only because I’m also a fellow drawer myself.

The only thing that seems different now is the fact that I’ve just started my first term at University of Manchester where Zayn is starting his third. After much convincing Zayn persuaded me to attend here, pretty much talking up the place and getting me an apartment with one of his girlfriend’s friends.

“These are amazing,” I say, my voice flat. I hear Zayn let out a soft chuckle and he reaches for the book back, holding out his hand as I look through a few more pages, not ready to hand it over yet.

“Don’t sound too enthused now,” Zayn says and nods his head towards my book bag where my sketchbook is peaking out, and of course I notice his eyes because he is always so willing to have a look at my drawings and ‘critique them’, but that intimidates me so bad.

I sigh immediately, “Zayn, my doodles don’t even compare to this-what even is this?” I say a bit too loudly for the solemn coffee shop we are in. Zayn never liked mainstream Starbucks’, so leave it to him to find a nearly empty cafe down the street from his apartment.

“It’s a tiger, I wanna get it tattooed,” he informs me and takes the chance to grab his book back. I slump into my seat at the thought of him getting another tattoo.

“I think you should’ve just gotten a sharpie,” I say, grabbing my straw as I pretend to draw all over my arm. He gives me a look that I’m too used to to even wonder if I’ve offended him. And even if I did, he’s horrid at holding grudges against me.

“Please don’t start…I understand if you don’t approve of my ink,” he says dryly and I know that he’s always getting hounded from family and other people about the amount of ink he’s inquired over his body in a few short years’ time, and it’s not that I don’t like it or anything, I’m just kind of afraid of needles.

“That’s not it I just…you have more every time I see you, is all, I can’t keep up” I gulp and he nods.

“So how are your classes going so far?” he asks me and I tell him about the few class I’ve had since this is only the first week of school and it’s only just Wednesday, and he seems to have forgotten he already wrote my schedule down in his planner so he could supposedly keep an eye on me.

“You’re talking that human anatomy drawing class, right?” Zayn asks me, though I’m sure he’s asked me already a few times before.

“I am yeah, just have it on Friday.”

“’right, cause I took that class a few years back and it’s good. It’ll help with you fashion sketches and stuff,” he tells me and I nods. I know that he knows that most of my drawings are of lavish gown dresses or things that would walk the runway, but I can’t help that I’ve always been fascinated with high fashion, even if I don’t quite dress it.

In fact I don’t dress it at all. My styles been quite soft grudge ever since I got my hair dip dyed purple. I really just started experimenting with my style though, which naturally comes with becoming an art student I suppose.

“That’s good,” I reply and looks as Zayn checks his watch.

“Sooo you want me to drop you back off or?” he asks, clearly ready to go even though I haven’t finished my latte. I tell him yes and gather my things and get up anyways, following him towards the exit.

Zayn pulls a few loose bills from his pocket and drops them in the tip jar on the counter. I watch the girl behind the counter smile but Zayn’s already outside. It’s simple things like this that really makes me wonder why Zayn’s even covered in black ink and wearing a leather jacket, because I swear he’s got the biggest heart I’ve ever seen.

;

“What time do you get out?” my flatmate Eleanor asks as I shovel down a quick lunch because I’ve got class in about thirty minutes, meaning I’ll have to take my bike and I hate riding that thing in lunchtime traffic.

“Round two thirty, or three,” I try to recall, tossing my bowl into the sink as I now scramble around for my art supplies.

“K, I might be out,” Eleanor speaks, and I only glance at her, seeing her dig through her purse like she’s searching for gold.

Eleanor is almost always out. She’s good friends with Zayn’s friend Louis, Zayn claims they are dating, and she’s just always on the go. She’s incredibly nice, and really social, and I definitely struggle to be the whole social thing. Well that’s not entirely true, I was really sociable back home with my familiar group of friends and people. But I’m a bit shy up front and reserved. Much like Zayn before you get to know him.

I’ve already decided my New Year’s resolution will be to loosen up a bit, even though it’s only just September.

“That’s fine,” I nod with a small smile, and bids Eleanor farewell.

I manages to get my bike unlocked fairly quickly, setting an all-time high record for myself, and I find the building my art class is in pretty easily because Zayn showed me around the other day,

When I walk in, most of the class is already there, and the classroom is set up in a circular layout with isles lined up in a circle around an empty space in the middle of the room, one that the teacher will have to move around 360 to talk to all the students.

I find an empty spot to the side and set my things down, then I survey the people sitting among me. Unfortunately I don’t really recognize anyone, unlike in my other art classes where most of the students had the same basic classes in their schedule just like I had.

The teacher appears soon, a short lady with a long weirdly pattern dress and graying hair, and she’s got a set of small eyeglasses on her nose that makes me know she means business.

The professor introduces herself and chats about the class, giving the basics of what’s expected from them. I gulp when she says this is an advanced class, usually meant for art students already more than a year into their degree. I sink down a bit as if she can tell I’m not Picasso himself. She says what’s required for the class and talks some more and then says how we’ll start with a class drawing exercise.

The class starts to get their sketchbooks out and I barely have a chance to get mine before this guy gets up from the side of the classroom and walks to the middle of the room.

I glance at him, quickly observing he’s got a nice looking face, but other than that I don’t really think much of it.

“This is one of our student models for this semester. I want us to start with the upper body. This assignment is pretty straight forward, just sketch as much as you can in twenty minutes. Next class we’ll spend some time critiquing each other’s styles,” the professor says, but I’m far too busy trying to concentrate on pulling out my favorite charcoal pencil from my bag when this guy stands up on the little platform and removes his shirt.

Instantly my mouth kind of opens in shock and I feel my cheeks flush and I look around, wondering if someone saw my reaction.

I hear my professor say some more words, but honestly I’m not really listening cause all I can do is look at this guy’s body. Or what she can see of it anyways, because he’s standing at an angle in my view, and I’m still unable to move my neck.

I blink a few times and bring my pencil tip to the paper and just start making some lines, but I can hardly focus on contour lines and cross-hatching because I’m completely distracted by the fact that he’s got the most gorgeous colored skin I’ve ever seen. A sort of cinnamon toasted skin that is glorious and makes me envious since we are in gray-no-sun England after all. I wonders if he’s from the tropics or something.

And he’s got these random tattoos scattered over his arms and chest and I’m so curious about them that I want to gnaw on my pencil as I ponder the meanings behind them and purpose for them being out there on his skin forever.

I nearly have his shoulders outlined and his collarbones which shall not be discussed, but I’m having a hard time being able to draw the muscles that lay evident on his body, the ones that cast shadows under his pecks and down his abs and around his arms and back. And I keep wanting to slap myself awake because it’s weird I’m even gawking at him in the first place because he isn’t even like incredibly toned or anything, and he has this whole lean lanky thing going on, but it’s kind of working for him.

The only questionable thing about him would be the mess of curls on his head that frankly I think needs to be cut, but who was I to judge.

So after staring him down for a few way too long moments, I finally finish up my sketches of his upper body and I just did my best to keep my cool.

Before I knew it the professor lady is saying times up and is telling us to hand in our drawings. It seems almost everything else already has their sheet torn out, ready to turn in with their name on it.

I watch as everyone packs up and hands in their drawings, all while I’m trying to close up my pencil bag and shove everything into my book bag.

I’m nearly the last one to walk over and hand mind in, which means I have to walk by the model guy on my way out.

And I just plan on just breezing past him, but he glances at me and then glances again as he gathers his things and I’m at least glad that he has his black shirt back on at least.

“Really nice hair,” he tells me, and I freeze when our eyes meet, because they are bright green like Christmas trees. Like pretty Christmas trees. But besides his eyes, his voice is quite shocking as well, and it’s not that I really knew what sort of voice he would have, but I definitely didn’t expect it to sound like melting chocolate.

My eyes are a bit wider than they should be, and I’m really hoping he doesn’t notice, but I know I should probably give him a compliment back, but there are too many I’m thinking of so I can’t exactly decide on only one. My gaze comes down to the ink peeking out under his sleeve.

So I just blurt out, “Uh…really nice tattoos.”

His reaction is subtle, but it still makes me take the chance and rush out the door. Luckily I unlock my bike and there aren’t too many people, so I don’t have to worry about running someone over as I pedal away in a hurry.

It then occurs to me that maybe I could have just thanked him, maybe complimented his face instead or something, maybe even have asked for a name and given mine to him, but instead I made a beeline for the door.

All I can really do is shake my head at myself as I make my way back to my flat.

I’m walking up to my doorway when I notice the door is kind of open, making me decide if I should pull my pepper spray out or just call out and see if it’s Eleanor.

I’m reaching for my bag when Zayn casually strolls out.

“Fuck Zayn, you scared me,” I shout, grabbing my chest as Zayn nearly evaporates into the air and appears in the doorway, “wha-what are you doing?”

“Oh, hey Charlie. Perrie has a key,” he says, holding it up as if he was going to lock the door if I hadn’t showed up. Instead he leaves it wide open for me.

I look at him for a bit more information, and Zayn reads this on my face easily.

“Perrie asked me to get her textbooks that Eleanor had and, that’s it really,” he says as if he realizes he doesn’t have time to explain and starts making his way past me.

“Okay..,” I say, stepping towards the door.

“You good?” Zayn asks.

“Yeah. Where are you out to?” I ask him, because I observes he is wearing nice shoes and I like the weirdly colored plaid shirt he has on. I also notice that he is cleanly shaven, meaning he looks about five years younger. A magic trick only Zayn acquires.

“Friday’s date night,” he says simply, a small shy smile pulls on his lips, making me feel as if I should smile as well. So I kind of do.

“Cute,” I reply and it’s true, cause Zayn being in a relationship is the cutest I’ve ever seen him. Not that I think he’s cute, but anyone would be blind to not acknowledge the fact that he is attractive.

“Oh uh, are you free sometime next week?” Zayn asks, his feet planted like he’s made time to chat with me now.

“Yeah why?”

“Perrie wants us all to go out pretty soon,” Zayn says, scratching his hand through his hair. I don’t want to appear grim by his words but he seems to notice.

“As in, the three of us?” I ask, because I’ve done that before and I was the third wheel the whole time because though Perrie is a sweetheart, she’s really territorial of Zayn and frankly it’s weird and I would like to avoid it if I could.

“Yeah why?” Zayn says, trying to copy how I said those exact words to him earlier, which doesn’t thrill me none.

“Zayn…I’m not gonna be the third wheel,” I just tell him straight out, because we are good friends and I can be like this with him and he’ll understand. Or at least I hope he will.

“Fine…then maybe I can get the guys to all come out as well,” Zayn starts to think out loud and I sigh.

“Zayn- you really don’t have to include me in your college buddy group and-” I just about whine, but Zayn’s already raising his voice, a sign that I should probably just stop talking.

“I know I don’t have to. I want to,” he says putting his hand up to cease my words, even though I’ve already stopped and am now staring at him through hardly opened eyes.

“Okay then,” I give in and finally he bids me farewell.

I go inside to an empty apartment and put my art supplies back on my best as neatly as I can, but my mind is kind of conflicted, because I’m still thinking about that guy’s body earlier and I’m still thinking about how his body was kind of a wonderland.

;

A week goes by and though classes are just starting up, I can already tell I’m gonna lose my mind this semester. Besides all my basic class I’m taking as well as some that go towards my major, I’m pulling a bunch of units so I don’t fall behind. All that work is completely separate from my art portfolio which I’m supposed to build up, on special orders from not only Zayn but also my counselor. When I’m not working on paper assignments, I’m usually working on something that’s on canvas.

Come next Friday I walk to my drawing class and I’m pretty much a bundle of nerves, but all those nerves are diminished when some random girl in a full length gown walks into the middle of the room to be drawn by the students today.

I look around at some of the other students and catch the quite visible expressions of some girls who look rather disappointed that the same guy model isn’t here again. All I do is let out a soft chuckle.

But I realize I’m able to focus a bit better, and sure I’m disappointed a bit, or a lot, but I tells myself to get over it because I’ll probably never see the guy again.

;

It’s already just about a month into the school year and I really feels her life is moving a hundred miles per hour and probably won’t stop.

After finishing up some homework early, I took the opportunity to organize some of my loose artworks, figuring out if they should go in the portfolio pile or mess around pile, or even up on my wall.

"Charlie I love this one," Eleanor tells me, pointing to a water painting I had made of a bunch of tea cups and tea pots.

"Thanks, yeah I like the colors on that one," I say back, not really giving a very artsy response, and though I loves how it turned out, I’m not quite sure it should be included with some of my other more serious pieces.

“What you don’t?” she asks as if she’s shocked.

“What?” I ask, setting down my post it notes I was using to label.

She just huffs and holds up the canvas.

“I say we hang it, is that alright?” Eleanor asks and I shrug then nod.

After she hangs it up above her desk she sits back down beside me and looks through my doodle pile.

"All your sketches are great as well," Eleanor continues to point out, and I figure it’s my fault Eleanor is even looking at everything with her, because when Eleanor came back from lunch with Louis my art things were slewn out all over their flat.

"Some are okay," I reply, and Eleanor gives me a look because even she knows that I’m my own biggest critic.

"Are you doing anything tonight?" I get asked and I’m realizing people are always asking me this. Am I supposed to have plans 24/7 or something?

"Nope," I reply.

"Want to have a movie night?" Eleanor asks me with a bright smile and honestly I can’t even say no, especially not after Eleanor helps me clean my art mess up.

;

I had kind of been avoiding talking to Zayn about that dinner with all his mates because I didn’t really think I could stand the awkwardness, but that following Saturday Zayn picks me up and pretty much forces me to go. But I don’t want him to know I made an effort, even though I’m wearing my good dark denim pants and my new pumps from Topshop.

"You’re gonna have a lovely time, but if you feel bored or something just have a few drinks," he explains as we park the car and I gasp at him.

"Alcohol doesn’t solve everything Zayn."

Zayn seems to go stiff at those words as he locks the car behind us with a click of his little remote.

"That’s not what you said back in Bradford," Zayn eyes me and I groan, dragging my feet towards the restaurant entrance.

"I’ve grown up since then Zayn," I tell him and he just shrugs, so I don’t push things any further.

They make their way inside and Zayn’s girl Perrie is already there with a small group of two others, three including herself.

"You made it, yay!" she says and hugs me as soon as I’m in reach, pulling me over to seat on her left hand side and Zayn on her right.

I feel abandoned by Zayn at once.

"This here is Liam, and Sophia, and I believe we have four more on the way," Perrie seems to ask towards Zayn, he takes a sip of whatever she was drinking and makes a face, probably because it’s non-alcoholic.

"I think yeah, maybe," he answers back.

“‘right, well everyone this is Charlie,” Perrie says, introducing me, I give a little wave in their direction.

Liam and Sophia seem really nice, and we are barely diving into small talk when two more guests show up.

"Aye Niall," Liam says, greeting the blonde/burnette haired boy as if he hasn’t seen him in ages. Niall looks happier to see everyone in general though.

"eyo everyone," he says back and Perrie jumps into gear to introduce me to them again.

"Niall and Barbara this is Charlie, Zayn’s friend," she tells them. They both shake my hand before having a seat.

And the group seems nice enough, and I’m glad that they engage me in conversations immediately.

"An art student, just like Zayney here," Niall says and I nod, not sure if he’s impressed or thinking that perhaps I copied his friend.

"So you’ve known Zayn for awhile now?" the girl named Sophia sitting beside the boy named Liam says.

"Yeah, pretty much all my life," I say and Zayn’s nodding when I look over at him.

The other girl Barbara asks if I have a certain art class and I’m shocked that I actually do.

“The one I recommended for you right?” Zayn asks, hooked in our conversation now, though he’s a few chairs away.

“Yeah, the anatomy one,” I say, giving my eyes to him then back to Barbara.

"Oh wow, I’m supposed to model for it in a few weeks," Barbara says and I can’t help but stare at the girl now, because yeah, she definitely looks like a model.

"You’re a student model, since when?" Niall asks, leaning back with his arm resting on Barbara’s chair. And I’m not 100% sure if they are a couple or not, because they aren’t as touchy as Liam and Sophia are being. Plus she doesn’t quite seem like his type.

"They asked me last minute, but I’ve done it for a few semesters already," she informs him and the conversation continues on, covering sports, to music, all while dancing around school, but no one really seems to want to chat about their studies.

They’ve already been there for about thirty minutes when another person strolls in. I’m too far invested in having a convo with Sophia about her cute jacket when the voice fills my ears and I’m a bit too afraid to turn around and register where I remember the raspy baritone from.

Fortunately, or unfortunately, I don’t have to turn around at all, because the new guest is seated right in front of me and when his eyes glance at mine, I feel like a deer in the headlights. Sitting right there in front of me is the guy who modeled in me class during the first week of class. I feel even more in danger because he’s looking at me like he remembers me as well, and if that’s the case I really don’t want to try and explain how we know each other. And I don’t want the others to know how we know each other, and then I kind of think about it, and really, this guy and I don’t even know each other, we only spoke about two words to one another.

"Nice to meet you Charlie," the stranger is saying, raising his hand over the table towards me. I realize Perrie must be introducing us to one another and I snap into action.

"You too, uh-"

"Harry," he seems to repeat again and I feel my shoulders drop only a centimeter or so, because at least now I had a name to the stranger who I drew on paper. And I couldn’t shake the urge to begin drawing him on the napkin beside my hand, only because that’s how much his whole being seemed to need to be drawn. So call me Michelangelo, but I definitely heard the calling.

Tonight was no exception.

This Harry guy has a nice sweater and even nicer blazer over it. I had to admit I’ve always been drawn to a guy who can dress, even if I prefers more of the whole punk rock on a guy. The only problem really throwing things off is the questionable headscarf he has pulling back his messy locks. I really feel like reaching over and yanking it off if I’m being honest, because what the heck is he, a pirate?

Harry easily pulls his eyes off from me, but I’m having more trouble.

I share some appetizers with Zayn and Perrie and though everyone is still trying to chat with me, I feel a huge weight on my shoulders now, because every time I speak Harry gives me his full attention, and every time he talks I can’t keep from staring at his mouth.

I find out he’s a full time college student, a history student to be exact, and I thinks that’s extremely boring for a kid like him.

He finds out I’m an art student, but thankfully he doesn’t bring anything else up and neither do I. Though I could see the visible smirk given my way when Niall said my major.

"Charlie, are you sure you don’t want something other than a shirley temple?" Zayn asks with a slight chuckle.

I set my glass down and eye him, which instantly answers his question with a no.

"Shirley temples are cool, bro," Harry says and I’m reminded he ordered one when I asked the waiter for my second.

Everyone else has mixed drinks in front of them besides me and Harry.

I’m trying to chat with Liam and Sophia, who I find interesting, but Harry keeps butting in and I’m easily losing my focus.

"Can I try one of those," he says and grabs an onion ring from my plate when I’m handing a napkin to Sophia.

"It’s really good," Harry mumbles, shoving the whole thing in his mouth as if I’m gonna take it back, and if I wasn’t more of a French fry gal I probably would have.

"Yeah? I wouldn’t know," I joke making Niall laugh, but Harry just sort of smirks, making me feel almost irritated.

Does all he know how to do smirk?

It’s an hour and a half of pure torture, and not even Louis and Eleanor showing up half way in makes me feel better. Sure Eleanor talks with me more than any of the others, but I feel out of place because I still don’t even know what’s going on with me. And how does Zayn know this ‘Harry’ character anyways.?

"Niall, I think you’re done mate," Louis says, grabbing the beer from in front of Niall before he can finish the last gulp. And Niall is nearly tipping over in his seat so it’s understandable.

Niall sulks as we gather up their things and finally head for the door to call it a night.

 

We all kind of walk out together and I’m trying not to look back and see where Harry’s going, but I do, and I find he’s walking just behind me.

"I told you ya’d have fun," Zayn says, coming up on my other side and nudging my arm with his elbow.

"I did yeah," I reply trying to be quiet, but soon Perrie and the other girls are greeting me goodbye, so I have no choice but say goodbye to everyone else.

"Well nice to meet you guys," I say, turning more towards Niall and Liam. I’m doing all I can to not address Harry single-handedly.

"You to," Liam says, shaking my hand like he can’t hug anyone but Zayn around his girl.

"It was nice to meet you Charlie," Harry tells me, nodding his head to me like those gentlemen do in those old movies.

"You to Harry," I say back, keeping my hands in my coat pocket because I’m really cold.

Sure enough everyone goes off to their own vehicles and Louis offers to give me a ride home since he’s dropping off Eleanor as well.

Before that I say goodnight to Zayn and thank him and Perrie for inviting me. And against all my wants I do not ask Zayn how he knows the mysterious Harry who I may have unwanted dreams about.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> When Charlie finally begins to let Harry get to know her better, well kind of.

The start of my fourth week of school is pretty normal.

I have a ton of homework, like always. I’m hardly getting a regular amount of sleep at night, which I expected. The only thing that’s different about this new week is somehow, miraculously, my mind for the most part has been off of Harry.

I used to think about drawing him all the time, and got little shutters when I thought about drawing his tattoos up close and personal, but I kind of just convinced myself that he’s not really my type. Finding out he was a History major kind of made me see that I probably wouldn’t fit well into his everyday life.

I really only liked art history, all others are confusing to me, so I figured I should spare him the awkwardness now.

So I was just pretty much convinced that he wasn’t my type, so there’s no sense in thinking about him so much, or wanting to draw him, or anything related to that.

In fact, I’m going pretty good thinking about the teacher aid in my psychology class, who frankly really isn’t my type either, because he’s really preppy which I thought this ‘Harry’ guy should be, but he isn’t.

Harry’s really quite different.

I’m also glad Zayn hadn’t brought him up either, not that I thought he would, but well, I kind of thought he would. But he hadn’t. 

In fact we had lunch the other day and he talked about art nearly the whole time, something that used to remind me of Harry, but not anymore.

I’m really grateful for Zayn helping me with some of my homework and he doesn’t pester me about anything except drawing something other than fashion sketches.

Eleanor on the other hand is a completely different story.

"You should ask you know who to help you with your history," Eleanor suggests, speaking of none other than Harry. I roll my eyes as I stir the marinara sauce on the stove, and I’m annoyed half because I wanted Alfredo sauce with the pasta but Eleanor claimed it was her turn to pick the pasta sauce, and the other reason I’m upset is because this is the third time Eleanor had just brought Harold into a casual conversation. I’m not even sure if that’s his full name though.

"You know who? Voldermort?" I ask making sure her eyebrows furrow in confusement.

"Harry of course," Eleanor almost giggles.

"Oh him…"I say, really hoping Eleanor gets the hint that I don’t want to talk about Harry, again.

"Do you have his number?"

This question makes me rolls my eyes.

"No I don’t, plus I need help with psychology,” I remind her for the tenth time.

Eleanor takes a bite of the bread that’s cooling on the table and nods, “oh, thought you said Sociology, that has something to do with history, right?”

I just kind of mumble a yeah.

“You are taking a history class though, aren’t you?”

I mumble another yeah, this time it’s more distinguishable though. Eleanor nods and then brings me the noodles that she just drained.

"Do I get to decide what we cook next Monday?" I ask when we both sit down in front of Eleanor’s laptop to catch up on GIRLS, and she sulks.

"You know you enjoyed the meal," Eleanor tells me and I shrug, because yeah, I kind of did.

My family always joked about how I should have gone into culinary school because I loved to cook so much, but I thought it was just because I liked to eat the food more.

Being half Italian, half Hispanic did that to ya.

;

The next Friday I’m extra early to my anatomy drawing class because I had some questions about my gown dress drawings. I walk into the room and find a few students already chatting with the professor and I also find none other than Harry sitting in the back of the classroom near the teachers desk, looking through what appears to be a book of drawings. The chair he is in is kind of short making his long legs fold high up, and it looks like he’s being punished or something. I just roll my eyes because I was doing so good keeping him and art separate in my mind, but he’s making himself hard to forget.

My heart does a weird thing behind my rib cage when Harry glances over at me, his eyes kind of lighting up when he seems to recognize me there. He has to do that with everyone he know though, at least this is what I tell myself.

The sly little look on his face half makes me guess he’s gonna walk over and say something smart-ass like, but he doesn’t before this girl next to be asks something about the assignment that is due next class.

I chat with the girl named Violet up until class starts. The whole time that I’ve been making small talk though, I’ve been struggling to not look over at Harry, who’s still sitting there in the chair against the wall like he’s in detention.

The professor talks and I’m half hoping Harry’s just there to observe class or something, and isn’t actually there to model for us.

But of course my hopes aren’t fulfilled. And they really never are.

I undergo torture once again, courtesy of Mr. Harry Styles, this time in the form of drawing expressions, meaning I clearly have to stare at his face for the next hour as we are instructed to draw whatever facial expression he’s asked to make. I’m kind of grateful he is allowed to keep his shirt on this time though, because I need no extra reason to blush in front of him.

This time I’m quick to pack up and turn in my assignment, which I feel good about, and then Violet bids me farewell, slightly throwing me off as I hurry outside to my bike.

I’ve nearly gotten it unlocked when Harry appears beside me, a clean smile on his face, one that almost almost makes me want to whip out my sketchbook and document it with charcoal.

"So you’re a pedaler?" Harry asks and all it does is make me sigh, because it’s the single most lamest thing I’ve ever heard a boy say. But for some reason I’m hardly even surprised because even though I hardly know this boy, I just get the feeling he is a huge nerd in disguise or something.

After learning he’s a history major he’s got to be.

"And you’re…funny," I tell him back sarcastically.

He shoves his hands into his pockets and walks a little closer to me as I wheel my bike around, a slight smirk on his lips now, as if he’s un-phased by my words.

"So whatca doing?" he asks just as I’m about to climb onto my bike and hurry away.

"I’m about to ride my bike," I inform him very matter-of-factly.

"Ah, I see. Then whatca doing later?" Harry tries again and I can’t help but kind of laugh, just a small one.

“Homework,” I lie.

“Oh yeah?”

“Yup. Why, you don’t have any?”

“No, I do,” he tells me and I nod, not really sure where this conversation is going.

Harry licks his bottom lip diligently as we walk down the path at a pretty slow speed.

“I get the feeling you’re a busy person Charlotte,” Harry says and I don’t know if I should address his suggestion first or if I should address the fact that he called me Charlotte.

“I’m am a very busy person, yeah, and you can call me Charlie,” I say kind of fast, trying to stress just how busy I am. He doesn’t look like he believes me though and I’m half wondering if I should just leave him standing there.

"Are you lying?" he asks and I gasp.

“No, no you really can call me Charlie,” I repeat and he rolls his eyes.

“No I mean about the busy part,” he says and I say ‘oh’.

“I am busy. Do you think I’m lying?” I ask him and he seems almost taken aback that I am asking him questions, because I bet he only expected to be asking the questions.

“’course not,” he tells me and I take it as an end to our conversation.

“Alright well if you do excuse me, I must be going now,” I say as politely as I can as I mount my bike, “bye Harry.”

"Oh, alright, bye Charlie,” he says and I wave at him over my shoulder as I ride off into the sunset.

;

My art history class may very well be my favorite class, and it’s probably only due to the fact that there are these two twin girls who seat next to me and they are just a hoot.

Their names are Sam and Lou and they are in their last year before graduating, but they are so nice and have taken me under their wing since they sat opposite sides me a few weeks ago.

"I’m not sure I understand the assignment, Charlie, do you understand it?" Lou asks after the professor is done writing the homework information on the flip chalk board. Half the students stay to write it down but half are already out the door.

I laugh because for the last twenty minutes Lou has been flipping through fashion magazines.

"I think I do yeah," I say, gathering up my things.

"We’ll have to get together and work on it then, when are you free?" Sam asks, pulling her glasses off her nose as she closes her notebook in her bag. Sam clearly was the more focused sister.

"Um-"

"How bout Thursday?" Lou asks, "we could meet in the library."

"You just like the library because that cute guy Tom works in the little cafe," Sam says making her sister shove her in the arm. I just look between the two of them as they speak.

"Well whatever the reason may be, let’s meet there. Alright Charlie?" Lou asks as they begin to exit the auditorium.

"Sounds good yeah," I agree and then pause when I see Zayn standing outside. He smiles a bit when he sees me and after I roll my eyes when Sam and Lou wolf-whistle at us, I tell them goodbye and walk over to Zayn.

"What’s up Zayn?" I ask because at first I think something’s wrong.

"Nothing just…I want to get a tattoo and I wanted someone to go with me," he says and I’ve known him too long to know that there’s more to the story.

"Okay…" I say moving from one foot to the other.

"It’s because, I can’t take Perrie with me, the tattoo is kind of for her and-"

I’ve never really seen Zayn this conflicted in a while. He’s struggling to speak and I just decide to go along with him.

"Alright, I’ll go with you, c’mon," I say and grab Zayn by the shoulder, pushing him along until he’s the one leading us to his car and driving to his favorite tattoo parlor.

I never really thought about getting a tattoo or not. It’s weird because for a while I kind of wanted one, but then I remember I hate needles, so I’m not sure I’d be able to. But I do think it’ll help me eventually be able to give blood, something I’ve always wanted to do for a while now. In this instance, I’m only really having trouble going along with Zayn’s current idea of his new tattoo.

I talk with Zayn to distract him as the tattoo artist paints ink on his arm, and I offer to hold his other hand or something but he laughs at me and says no. So I just chat with him and mostly try not to stare at the guy work his magic with the tattoo gun.

Zayn takes it like a pro of course, but I’m sure I have a bruise from my own nails digging into my own skin every time Zayn started to act like he was in pain.

In no time at all it’s over and Zayn’s observing the new art work on his arm with bright eyes and a smile.

"You like it?" Zayn asks and I nod in a hurry.

"It looks great,” I reply, and though it’s still a bit shocking to see a cartoon version of Perrie on his skin, I have to admit it does look good. And leave it to Zayn to go out and do something crazy like this without a care in the world. 

"I agree," Zayn says and after getting it bandaged up we are out the door.

"When you gonna tell her?" I ask on the ride back home.

"Probably tonight, I’m taking her to dinner after she gets off work," Zayn says and there’s excitement laced in his voice, making me feel happy that he’s happy.

"Well I know she’ll love it," I tell him as he pulls up to my apartment.

"I hope so," Zayn says and I get out.

"Hey Charlie?" Zayn calls out as I’m heading to the door, already digging in my bag for my keys.

"Yeah?"

"Thanks for coming with me, I appreciate it," he tells her and I smile.

"Of course Zayn, anytime,” I reply and he smiles back, making sure I’m inside and waving at me before he drives off.

;

I go a whole week without anymore ‘Harry’ business. He wasn’t even there for my drawing class this last week, instead there were two girls with huge puffy almost wedding like dresses and I had an absolute blast drawing the fabric of the dresses, which was a nice change from Harry’s cinnamon skin.

I met up with Sam and Lou to work on our Art History homework and we successfully finish that, of course not without pestering me about who my friend Zayn was and all that.

Eleanor and I go clothes shopping the next day which has me pretty excited the whole time up under the shopping trip.

It’s a Monday afternoon and I’m rather proud of myself for finishing my math homework after two hours rather than my normal hour. Math has never really been my strong subject, hence the reason why I’m an art major, so I’m treating myself to a mid afternoon snack.

I’m in line at one of those campus smoothie shops, one of the ones serving up juices and all that, but all I’m crazing is a really good smoothie, and for some reason neither Eleanor nor she decided to purchase a quality blender for themselves

After deciding whether to get a mango or banana based smoothie, I receive my drink quickly, before turning to spot a familiar face walking in. Harry’s eyes instantly connect to mine.

"Heyyyy," he says, kind of blocking my way out of the store.

I sip my mango pineapple concoction before I returns his hey, though I don’t drag it out as long as he did.

"Fancy seeing you here," he tells me, but I don’t see anything fancy about it. In fact the word I’d use would be something like irritating because of course after that Friday night when we all went out I would start seeing him random places that I’d never seen him before.

"Yeah, nice to see you," I say as nicely as possible as I brush past him, making my way out of the store. I’m in a rather great mood, and I don’t want to get preoccupied by his flirting, mostly because flirting isn’t something I’ve ever been good at.

"This is the second time I’ve seen you in a week. Are you following me?" he asks making me really just want to set him straight. Who does he think he is chatting me up? Why would I even be following him in the first place? And it’s been more like two weeks.

I gasp almost too dramatically and look straight at him. By now they are both outside the store and I’m refraining from starring daggers at him.

"Excuse me," I say loudly, setting a hand on my hip as I look at him standing there all innocent looking.

"Well like did you ask Zayn to put a tracker on me or-"

"No, of course not-who do you think you are?" I ask all of a sudden and I can tell Harry’s a bit caught off guard because his mouth opens to reply but then closes, and he shoves his hands into his pockets as if he’s trying to collect himself.

"I’m just Harry," he then tells me with a shrug, making my angst interior almost diminish on the spot. I wonder if it’s even possible to do that to a person, to make their emotions change in a split second. But it must be possible because it’s what Harry’s just done with mine. Then I realize what I’m saying and I feels kind of angry again, but mostly annoyed.

"Good to know," I mumble, cause I don’t know what else to say. I take another sip of my drink and glance at Harry who’s just rocking on his heels studying me, "And for your information I haven’t even mentioned you to Zayn," I tell him for some reason.

Harry takes in my words and nods, “fair enough.”

I’m then presented with the opportunity to leave, but I don’t take it. I stand there in front of him and he stands there as well as if we are sizing up each other.

Then I make a move with my arm to tell him I’m gonna get going, and Harry makes a move with his and long story short our arms collide and launch my smoothie all over the floor and all over our feet.

I jump away in a gasp and anger feels me. I’m literally already yelling at him when he slaps a hand to his face and gets down on his knees, looking down at my drink as if he just killed it.

“Oh my gosh! I’m so sorry Charlotte!” he shouts looking from my drink to me and back and forth.

“It’s, fine,” I say through clenched teeth and look down at my once white high top converse.

“I um, I’ll get you a new one. Gah it’s all over your shoes,” he says in panic, but at least now he’s standing again.

“Look at yours!” I point out and he does so, his face becoming more pain struck.

“I, I didn’t like these shoes anyways,” Harry tries to say and I laugh, I actually let out a real laugh and he seems a bit frozen as he watches me.

My eyes shut and I grab my stomach and when I’m just about to calm back down I realize he’s laughing back with me.

“I’m sooo sorry Charlotte, really I am,” he says between chuckles, but now I’m just watching him.

“It’s fine Harry, it’s fine,” I tell him, cause it really is all fine. It was just an accident after all, “and why do you insist on calling me Charlotte?”

He seems frozen again by my question, and I kind of was also.

“Cause everyone else calls you Charlie, don’t they?” he asks and I nod at him cause obviously they all do for a reason.

“Yeah, are you a leader not a follower or something?”

“I’d like to think,” he replies looking proud, which has nothing to do with this conversation.

I tilt my head and feel like hitting him.

“It’s cause I need a nickname for you or something,” he explains and all I’m thinking is why the heck does he need that, “but also cause I do like the name Charlotte for some reason.”

I chew on the inside of my lip not sure at all how to respond to that. He seems to notice my conflicted thoughts.

“Look, let me get you another smoothie and we can chat, alright?” Harry asks me and I just open my mouth to argue back an answer, but I can’t.

“Fine,” I say.

;

“My shoes are probably ruined, huh?” Harry asks me, sipping the drink between his hands as he kicks his feet out from under the table.

“Um, perhaps,” I tell him and look down between both of our feet, covered in sticky smoothie mixture as we sit there in the little smoothie shop. But I don’t mind because I have a new drink in my hands and I’m pretty content about not dropping it this time.

Harry hmms an agree and we continue talking about school even though I don’t really want to because I know he’s gonna bring up drawing class, and I’m doing a horrid job at keeping Harry and drawing separate in my mind.

Even just looking at both his arms outstretched over the table makes me think of how his symmetry is pretty amazing. It’s also off balance with those long legs of his, but still.

“So what made you want to be a History major?” I can’t help but ask, biting my straw afterwards as if he’s not going to answer me.

“It sounds boring, huh?”

“Nooooo, course not,” I lie.

But yes, it sounds incredibly boring.

“I’ve just always liked history. Reading ‘bout it, learning ‘bout it, figured I’d be good at teaching it to if I studied it more,” he tells me.

“Oh, so you wanna be a history professor?”

“Probably one day yeah,” he replies, looking at me when he’s done and I gulp.

“And you?”

“Me?”

“Yeah, you like, to draw,” he tells me rather than asking.

“I do, you are correct,” I say trying not to let my face change so he can’t smell my fear.

"So what did you and Zayn both make a pact when you guys were young, saying you were both gonna be artists," he laughs, "cause you guys are both really talented."

"No not really, we just-wait, how do you know if I’m talented or not?" I ask wondering if he’s just guessing, or if he’s happened to have seen some of my pieces. It’s a question merely out of curiosity, one that I just blurt out, "have you seen some of my stuff?"

"Erm, yeah, I have,"

"When?" I ask.

"Your flat. Louis and I went over with Eleanor one day and say some of your stuff on the walls," he speaks normally, but there’s a bit of panic in his eyes, "you’re really good Charlotte."

"Oh, oh okay," I say, calming down, "thanks."

He just stares at me like I’m supposed to add more, but I have no idea what else to say.

He lets it drop though and brings up a previously discussed matter.

“So Charlotte, you don’t like going by Charlotte?” he asks me and I don’t know an answer. It’s not that I don’t like my full name, it’s just that most people call me Charlie and I’m used to that.

“I don’t know, my mom only calls me by my full name,” I tell him and he nods as if he’s cooking up some plan in his head.

“What about Char, does anyone call you Char?”

“Not really, no.”

“Well Chars gonna have to do until I think of something better,” Harry tells me and I don’t even press the issue I just nod and say yeah okay.

That’s when my phone goes off.

It’s only a text message, from Eleanor asking where I am, but I take it as an excuse to say I should get going.

“Oh alright,” Harry says and we stand up and walk out.

“Well it was nice chatting with you Char,” he says but I’m already walking away. I do notice the use of the nickname though.

“You to Harry,” I smile, turning my shoulders to see behind me.

“Oh wait, I didn’t even get your number,” he says all of a sudden and I turn around, now walking backwards.

“Well you did get me another smoothie, so thanks,” I tell him with a thumbs up and I overly big smile, and even he looks like he wants to laugh.

"It’s alright, I’ll just ask Zayn for it," he tells me and I just wave my hand over my head not sure at all how to respond to that.

All I do is try to do is walk fast before I start feeling butterflies.

;

I didn’t really expect Harry to be serious. I didn’t expect Harry to even mention me to Zayn or anyone else, but sure enough Zayn comes over to hang out a few days later, and rather than talking about his new ink, he’s hardly inside my door when he’s saying Harry’s name.

"I don’t even know him Zayn," I tell him after he asks ‘so you and Harry?’

"Would you like to?" Zayn asks back, making me groan as I shut my own door.

"No! The guy likes to flirt is all, I have no interest in him," I tell my friend, and it’s true, at least in my head I’m convinced it’s true.

Zayn’s looking at me like he’s not convinced either.

"Well I gave him your number," Zayn says calmly, making my eyes bug out. I kind of wants to punch a wall.

"What?!"

"He just asked for your number, said you didn’t get a chance to give it to him yourself."

I gasp, because of course that Harry-smoothie-spilling-jerk would have to be a little liar as well.

I don’t even know what to say, but of course Harry would lie about this, but I guess I should have seen it coming. So I don’t know if I should start yelling at Zayn or myself. Either isn’t gonna help though because Harry still will have my number.

Instead I sulk and glance over at Zayn who looks like he’s rather enjoying all this.

"I hate you," I tell Zayn and he actually gasps, his eyes opening wide.

"Fuck…Charlie you do like him,” Zayn says softly and I gap at him again, wishing I could start this whole thing over and remove the blush flooding my cheeks.

"I do NOT!” I shout almost sounding childish.

"Fine fine, no need to shout," he says, plopping down on the small couch, pointing to the little stereo in the corner, "put some tunes on, yeah?"

I slump over and do so before asking him about how Perrie took to his tattoo.

"She liked it," he tells me and I’m hoping for a bit more explanation, but Zayn it’s one for details unless he really wants to give them.

"Yeah?"

"Yup, loved it even," he says, tapping through his phone, a signal that he’s not going to give me any more information.

"That’s great, I knew she would," I can’t help but add and asks his opinion on a few of the CD’s I file through on the shelf.

They chat about school and I asks about his sisters.

We spend the whole afternoon talking away, and I’m just glad none of the talk is about Harry anymore.

;

The next Friday I know there’s no way I’m going to escape chatting to Harry after class, since he was present today and has been glancing my way pretty much the whole class. Sure enough as soon as the class is dismissed, Harry is striding over.

“Hi,” he says, walking beside me.

“Hello Harry,” I reply.

“Sorry again about your smoothie,” he says as if it happens five minutes ago.

“It’s quite alright,” I say truthfully because I had forgotten all about it. Well not entirely.

"So how is your day going?”

"It’s going well, and yours?" I ask.

"Lovely, thanks for asking," Harry replies and I don’t really know why he’s trying so hard to make small talk. It’s unnecessary because I’m not gonna flirt back and I figure I might as well put an end to it right now.

"Harry…what are you doing?” I then ask, stopping and making Harry come to an abrupt stop as well.

"What?"

"Do you flirt with every girl or?” I ask and Harry starts to shake his head.

"It’s not like that, I’m not like that-"

"Then why are you trying so hard to talk to me and asking Zayn for my number and stuff?" I ask, because I really just wants to know. I cross my arms and watch Harry chew on his lips which is quite distracting on my part.

"I want us to be friends Char, I uh-"

“Friends?” I ask, cutting Harry off from his lost thoughts, “Just friends though right?”

He beings to nod before he shrugs, “well if benefits are involved then-“

I reach out and hit his arm with the back of my hand and he laughs.

"Joking, I’m joking! Yes just friends," he tells me and I study him for a bit before I sighs cause there really is no way I could tell this boy no even if I wanted to, and I did want to at the beginning.

"Okay then, I think we can do that," I conclude and Harry’s eyes brighten.

"Really?" Harry asks.

"I think so," I nod, taking notice of how very happy Harry seems to become.

"Great!" he just about shouts, making me turn away from him in case people happen to be looking, this way it seems he is shouting at himself.

"So if I ask you to get a bite to eat with me right now, are you gonna say you’re too busy?" Harry asks, his eyes narrowing at me.

I narrow my eyes right back, debating what my answer should be, because all I know is I want to allow myself to go get a bite to eat with him very badly.

"No, I won’t say that," I finally decide and Harry nods.

"You aren’t lying, right?"

I roll my eyes, “no, I genuinely don’t have anywhere to be.”

"Then I think this would be the perfect time for two people, who are just friends, to get to know more about one another," Harry explains to me, taking far too long to say his words, but I can’t help but stare at his mouth as he forms his words. A dangerous occupation I’m sure.

"alright Harry, you lead the way," I say, gesturing forward for them to walk.

He practically skips the whole way to a little sandwich shop that isn’t too far from my apartment and Harry tells me what’s good on the menu. I end up ordering something that he’s never tried though on purpose.

"Is it good?" he asks me, once I’m almost half way done with my French dip sandwich thing, and really it’s better than good.

"Soooo good," I say, taking another large bite. I’m half worried he’ll be scared of me enjoying my food too much, but frankly he isn’t any better. He’s nearly spilled everything inside his club sandwich onto his lap, as well as about every french fry he attempts to put into his mouth. He’s a lot clumsier than I would have guessed.

"This sauce is really good too," Harry says, successfully putting a fry into his mouth.

"It’s ranch," I reply unimpressed.

Harry groans and sticks another fry into it, “It’s got something else in it though-“

I hand him another napkin when some of the ranch spills into his lap, again.

"Are you always this messy?"

"Erm no-uh, I’m just nervous," he says, dabbing at his pants which thankfully I can’t really see over the table, "you make me nervous," he says lifting his head up to speak and then ducking back down again.

I huff and shake my head because there is no way that can even be possible, “not possible.”

"No I’m serious."

"Harry, I’ve only known you what, five minutes, and I already know you’re one of the most confident people I’ve ever met," I explain to him after he’s making a weird face as if he’s offended by my compliment.

"Well I’d say we’ve known each other for at least ten minutes max," he says back making me actually let out a chuckle, "what makes you think I’m confident though?"

"The way you act, and speak, and the way you dress," I say, waving a hand up and down him.

"How I dress?"

"Yeah…who’s your fashion inspiration, because I haven’t seen many guys rocking headscarves and tattered boots," I speak but he still doesn’t look like he understands.

"It’s just my hairs long and-"

"Oh I’m not necessarily saying it’s a bad thing," I explain and he nods slowly, so I speak on, "plus the fact alone that you model for an art class, says you’re pretty confident, does it not?

Harry just shrugs with a frown, and I almost want to laugh at his modesty, “I never really thought about it, I guess.”

"Well you just seem really comfortable with yourself, which is cool," I admit in attempt to make him feel better. It’s as if I’m admitting to myself as well though.

"So now you’re complimenting me again?" he asks with a laugh and I shrug.

"Maybe, maybe not, are just friends allowed to do that?"

"Nope only friends with benefits," Harry says back but says he’s only kidding as soon as I open my mouth, about to say something angry back at him.

I find it really weird how easily conversation is between us. I’m able to subdue my obsession with watching his lips move, long enough to find out a lot more about him than I did that Friday night out with all our friends.

I’m secretly smiling when he tells me about how much he likes my hair since his sisters has started dying her hair bright colors as well. I’m also wondering why I was hesitant to get to know him better in the first place.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> To party or not to party, that is the question for Charlie.

The weeks press on and the months nearly slip into autumn, which is my absolute favorite time to live in England. And one would think spending Autumn in England while living the uni life would be amazing. But frankly it’s not. When I’m not working on school work or my art work I’m actually trying to have a social life. The only thing that has changed is the fact that I don’t really have to give Harry much thought at all anymore, because he’s practically showing up everywhere.

He just invites himself over to my flat with Louis and he pops up in the back of my class so that I can’t avoid him and we have no choice but to chat together. And I’m really surprised by how easily we just become friends. And I don’t only become friends with Harry, I feel like I’ve been inducted into the group and have become one of their friends as well.

“Liam, are you playing or not,” Niall says one night when we all cram into Niall’s flat to hang out but the hanging out turned into having mixed drinks and playing video games.

Niall is the only one out of all of us who has a room all to himself and who also is living on campus. I’m utterly amazed by how much stuff he has stashed into the small dorm room. When I asked him why he didn’t have a flatmate, he responded by saying he didn’t think he would be able to share his food. And I guess that made sense.

“Yeah I am, give me a second,” Liam mumbles, setting his phone down as he looks for a place to sit and play FIFA. I do the same and look around the small room.

“Give me a remote already,” Harry says, already having claimed Nialls desk chair, clearly looking ready to play.

“Charlie, will you be joining us?” Louis says from his spot on the floor, setting up the remotes and tossing one towards Harry’s chest. I shrug because they seem a bit too intense for my rookie video game skills.

“Don’t think so, I’ll just watch,” I say and smush down between Zayn and Niall, on the couch with Eleanor on the other end.

Niall immediately acts like I’ve crushed him.

“Women, I need ample elbow room,” he says when I nudge him against the arm rest.

“Sorry…” I laugh and Zayn volunteers to sit on the floor, which works out because I get to see what buttons he presses on the control and all that.

“Sophia, do you want to take turns?” Liam asks her as her and Perrie stand in the kitchen chatting away with red cups in their hands.

“No no, you play till your heart’s content,” she says waving him off, so only Eleanor and I are left sitting there watching them play.

I watch them for a bit and I was right, they are extremely intense and competitive about this game and after a while I’m trapped there between them and finally when they finish a round, I force my way around Niall and practically over Zayn to go get some water.

I talk with the girls about school but the sound from the video game and the boys banter is quite loud, so I turn to look at them when clearly Louis wins another round.

“I’m the champ, I should have taken that bet of yours Niall,” Louis shouts and Niall rolls his eyes.

“Whatever, you got lucky,” he says back making Louis throw something at him, “Zayny here almost had you.”

“I want to switch players,” Harry calls out looking glum.

I walk back in with a bottle of water and immediately Louis makes a face as if he’s holding back a laugh.

“What is that?” he says, pointing to the water with a mad face.

“It’s water. Why?” I ask and this time he does laugh.

“Charlie dear, there’s a whole supply of liquor over there, and you are settling for water?” he asks me and my shoulders drop. The way he pronounces ‘water’ is the single most British word I’ve ever heard.

“What’s wrong with water?” I ask loudly.

Niall stands up and acts like he’s gonna come to my defense, but he really doesn’t, at all.

“She’s wholesome, alright Lou?” he tells him, coming over to pat my shoulder as he brushes past me.

“What?” I blurt out.

“Louis I’m not drinking either, no big deal,” Zayn tries to say, but Louis isn’t having it so he turns his eyes back to me.

“Charlie here never drinks though. Why is that Charlie?”

“I just…I drink on special occasions,” I say as if it’s the truth, and it kind of is. Well really I haven’t drank that much since back at home, and I was kind of planning on keeping it that way.

“That’s a good one,” Louis says and I just roll my eyes.

“Louis shut up! Half of us aren’t even drinking tonight,” Eleanor finally says and only then does Louis seem to bite his tongue.

“Oh wait wait, Charlie drank at the party up on the second floor last week, didn’t you Charlie?” Liam points out and I instantly remember having some iced drink which I thought had been a virgin margarita, but Niall had lied to me about it. He also lied when he told us it was just a little party with some of his class mates, because in reality it had been some fraternity social that known of them were a part of.

“I did, thank you Liam,” I say and just decide to sit down.

“Yeah, cause you didn’t know what it was,” Niall says walking back in.

“I’m just gonna stop answering questions now,” I conclude and zip my mouth.

I look over at Harry and his face lights up.

“Questions. We should play truth or dare!” Harry shouts out.

“What are you ten?” Liam says.

“No, I just think it’ll be fun,” he says back.

“Sounds fun, you guys play up,” Zayn says as he walks out of the room giving me a small smile as he heads over to Perrie and Sophia.

“Well leave then if you guys aren’t gonna play, this may get intense,” Louis warns the others and Zayn rolls his eyes.

“Yeah alright, I need a smoke,” he replies and the three of them head for the door.

Somehow the six of us that are left embark in a rapid fire game of truth or dare. Mostly doing truths and finding out if the person had ever lied to the other person, but I knew it was a matter of time before things got a bit more, personal.

“Niall, have you ever gotten off to that girl in your photo class?” Louis asks after Niall says truth. Instantly he acts disgusted by this question.

“What, fuck no! I take that class with Barbara,” he says shaking his head profusely.

“I didn’t mean like in the class, just when thinking of her or something,” Louis presses on even though he’s already asked his question. And I have no idea what they are talking about, but Niall gets really defensive about it and keeps saying ‘no no’.

"While we’re on the topic of Barbara though," Louis tries again and Niall’s face turns to one of anger. Eleanor reaches over to slap Louis’s leg and he falls silent.

“Harold your turn,” Niall says, eager to turn the attention off him and Harry sits there awaiting his question.

“Truth of course,” he says before Niall can even ask him ‘truth or dare’.

“Is it true, you took that leggy blonde haired girl home from the pub the other night?”

I gulp and can’t help but stare at Harry for his reaction and he immediately shakes his head with panic.

“Oh my god. No! Who told you that? Louis?” Harry asks and Louis starts chuckling real hard, “stop spreading rumors like that!”

“The blonde one?” Liam asks a bit shocked, even though it’s already been stated that she was blonde.

“But you wanted to, didn’t you?” Louis asks between chuckles. All Harry does is roll his eyes and hide his face with his hands.

“I think so,” Liam adds in making Harry glare at him as well.

“I wasn’t even interested in her,” Harry tries to claim, now appearing calmer than before.

“You aren’t interested in many girls anymore, huh?” Louis makes one last dig and Harry just stops looking at him.

"Are you saying I’m gay?" Harry blurts out making Niall and Liam chuckle but Louis just rolls his eyes.

"Nevermind…." Louis groans and Harry seems satisfied with himself.

“Eleanor your turn,” Harry says suddenly and turns to look at her sitting next to me, “is it true, Louis can’t even get it up?!”

“Hey heyyyy!” Louis shouts and jumps up, launching a pillow at Harry that nearly makes him tumble over.

“Oh gawd, I think us girls are gonna have to leave if you can’t control yourselves,” Eleanor says, ignoring the question but catching my eye and it’s clear she’s annoyed by all this.

“No no, they’ll calm down,” Liam claims but Louis and Harry are now wrestling on the chair and Niall is laughing like a lunatic at them.

I just watch them, knowing it’s only a matter of time before it tips over. Sure enough it does and the room erupts with laughter alongside Niall, as Harry is pinned down by the chair and by Louis.

“Wait no…don’t leave!” Harry shouts out, “Its Charlie’s turn.”

I look at Eleanor who smiles and I feel relieved cause she’ll be asking me the question, that is until Harry manages to get up to talk. I watch as he sits back down on the chair and fixes his unfixable hair.

“But I get to ask her a question because Eleanor didn’t answer hers. So it’s still my turn to ask,” he informs us all and my heart falls.

“Valid proposal,” Louis says, climbing to his feet and straightening his shirt as comes to sit by Eleanor.

“Is it trueeeee, you’ve kissed a girl before?” he asks and I look at him lamely.

“No. And that wasn’t even a good question,” I say and his eyes brows raise as he crosses his arms.

“You want another one?”

“I don’t know, is that all you’ve got?” I challenge, which was the wrong move and I’m aware as soon as he huffs. The two of us stare at each other and for a second I’ve forgotten we aren’t alone in the room. The second he asks his question though I remember.

“Fine. Is it true you’ve kissed Zayn?” he asks and my mouth opens, because that wasn’t a fair question at all.

“No.” I say flatly and my voice sounds weird, but I am telling the truth, and Louis and Niall laugh as if they don’t believe me.

“She’s lying!” Niall claims, pointing at me wildly.

“I am not!”

“You guys are terrible,” Eleanor says over them but they ignore it.

“She definitely is.”

“I’m not lying! What makes your think I’m lying?” I ask back and Harry looks like he’s gonna reply but he decides against it as Louis blurts out something.

“Because he’s your best mate and probably was your first kiss, hell, maybe even your first time,” Louis informs us all and I shut my eyes and try not to look effected by his accusations, since all of them are false. And I know it’s the alcohol that’s making Louis even louder and bolder than usual, but I feel like smacking him. And Harry, who suddenly looks guilty, and frankly he should because he started this.

“I swear, none of that is true,” I say, keeping my voice calm, “you’ve got it all wrong.” I glance at Harry and he looks quite frozen.

“I remember my first time…” Niall thinks out loud as he stares up at the ceiling in a daze. For once we all are on the same page and roll our eyes at him.

“Niall please, no one cares,” Liam says and Niall’s thrown out of his thoughts, looking at us angrily as if we’ve disrupted some fantasy of his.

“We should each tell about our first times, go,” Louis says continuing the awkward conversation.

Eleanor and I groan and I don’t think I can take anymore. Apparently neither can Eleanor.

“Alright, I think Charlie and I are done,” she announces.

“What?” Harry asks, coming to life now as I get up and follow Eleanor.

“You need to slow your roll on the drinks babe,” Eleanor says, coming over to Louis and kissing his cheek.

He groans loudly and shakes his head, “I don’t think so, nope.”

She just rolls her eyes and mentions something to Niall about having him stay the night here.

“Bye Charlie,” Niall says and I glare at him from over my shoulder.

“I hate you all,” I announce and flip them off, earning a laugh from Louis once again.

“Babe we have to do this,” Louis says after slapping his knee.

I scowl at him, because there’s no reason they had to put me on the spot or patronize me. No reason at all. I do give him the chance to explain though.

“Excuse me?” I ask.

“You’re the newbie in the group,” Niall finishes for him. But those words aren’t good enough.

“So that gives you the right to be jerks?” I ask firmly.

“No, but it was your initiation,” he replies back.

“Whatever,” I mutter.

“You passed the test though,” Liam tells me but I’m not amused.

“Charlie we’re sorry….forgive us?” Louis asks, holding his drink up.

I decide not to give in quite yet and pretend I’m still angry.

“No,” I say and follow Eleanor over to the door.

I mean to look over at Harry for his expression, but I don’t want to in fear it’ll be mockery or laughter just like Louis’, though I get the feeling it wouldn’t be.

Eleanor and I meet the other three outside and get Zayn to give us a ride home.

I feel awkward even though nothing they even pinned on me was true. I just feel weird about the whole thing though.

;

“Eleanor, I don’t wanna go,” I tell her for the millionth time after she asks me to go clubbing with her and some of her friends that Friday.

She had been chatting to me about it all week and she couldn’t go a single conversation without mentioning it as if I would easily break. And truth was I was beginning to feel I just might.

I sit my things down on my bed and try to fold up some of my clothes, setting them away in my dresser, but Eleanor is distracting me with her proposal, and she’s also sitting on half my folded clothes on my bed.

“Charlie, we aren’t gonna do bad things, no guys, nothing like that, just dancing, a few drinks, fun times with the girls. You told me you had been wanting to,” she reminds me and I fold one of my sweaters neatly.

Truth was I had been thinking about going, but then the guys started attacking me about not drinking and being wholesome. I didn’t want them to think I was rebelling against them, I had just wanted to finally go clubbing during my first year of university.

“I still do,” I admit to her and she seems completely shocked by my revelation.

“Well then, let’s go. I promise you’ll have fun, and if not well then we never have to go again,” she tells me, and I glance at her with her eyes sparkling and her smile really big. I roll my eyes and figure what the hell.

“Fine, I’ll go,” I decide and she starts cheering really loud and hugs me and then hurries out, claiming she has to figure out what to wear, even though it’s only just Monday.

I don’t know what I’m expecting. Maybe to feel completely out of place between girls in tight dresses and guys with lust in their eyes, but I go out with Eleanor and a group of three of her girl-friends, and we have the best time ever.

We dance the whole night away, and getting a guy is the last thing on my mind. One of Eleanor’s friends keeps suggesting what drinks I should get from the bar and I come to the realization that alcohol is once again my weakness. Even though I had been trying to fight it, and had been trying to get past it and not fall for it again. I was no match for a little fruity drink.

Eleanor and I stumble into our flat late, that same night, chuckling about some joke we remembered and then laughing some more when Eleanor can’t take her shoe off.

“I hateee high heels,” she whines collapsing on the couch beside me. I set my things down and look at my phone before my eyes feel heavy all of a sudden.

“Thanks for taking me El, I had..a blast,” I thanks her, rubbing my eye, and probably smearing my mascara even more.

“You, are very welcome,” she says and we both end up sleeping on the couch in our dresses.

;

The next morning I wake up with my first hangover that I’ve had in a long time. It’s been over a year that I’ve felt like this and I’m by a sudden wave of regret.

“You feeling better?” Eleanor asks, coming out of her room with clean clothes after showering.

I rub my head as I dry the few dishes remaining and nod. I look at the clock and it reads 3 pm, and finally my headaches have subsided.

“Yup, finally,” I say, closing the cabinet after putting the glasses away.

We chat about the place and something that made us laugh and I realize I don’t have to feel guilty after all.

No one was hurt, I didn’t do anything illegal, and it was just one time that I got a little tipsy. Maybe a lot but who’s asking.

So if Eleanor can appear happy about the whole experience, than so can I, right?

I carry this state of mind with me until I have lunch with the crew the next day and instantly hope Zayn doesn’t judge me, because he’s the only one that knows what I was like before uni.

I’m waiting for him to confront me. Waiting for him to give me accusing eyes. Waiting for something that will knock me off the high pedestal I was on all night that night, but it never comes.

I decide to take it upon myself to confront him though.

“Zayn, I know you heard about me going clubbing with Eleanor,” I say when we go refill our drinks and get more napkins.

Zayn narrows his eyes and glances over at me.

“Huh?”

I huff, “I know you’re just waiting to give me a big speech about how I shouldn’t have done that,” I say in a hurry, “so go ahead.”

He seems unimpressed by my confrontation and he sets his cup down on the counter before fully turning towards me.

“Charlie, you’re a big girl, I think you’re capable of making your own decisions,” he tells me, looking straight into my eyes, “I trust you.”

He touches my arm like he used to do when we were little and he’d make sure I was okay. But this time it makes me feel the opposite of okay. He trusts me? But that doesn’t make me feel better or worse, it just makes me feel.

He gathers his cup and more napkins and walks off before I get the chance.

Eventually I sulk back over.

To avoid Zayn all together, I take up Harry on his offer to drive me home very quickly.

And I’m not aware that Harry had heard about my little club run until he’s asking me questions about it.

“So I heard you and Eleanor went clubbing the other night?” he asks glancing over at me in his passenger seat, “did you have fun?”

“I did yeah,” I say slowly, not sure why he’s asking me in the first place.

“Did you find any suitable mates at the club?” he asks, actually making me laugh.

“I don’t think the clubs is the best place to look for those kinds of things,” I laugh.

He hums and then tries again, “I guess what I mean is, were you looking for any while you were out?”

My laughter is definitely gone, and I have no idea why he’s even asking me this and putting me on the spot like this. But I know my answer so I just give it to him.

“No, I wasn’t,” I say, dipping my eyebrows to look at him.

“Oh okay,” he says with a nod.

“Why do you ask?” I can’t help but let leave my lips.

Harry shrugs and readjusts his hands on the steering wheel.

“Well, because I was gonna ask if you wanted to go to this new club on 5th with Niall and me this Saturday,” Harry says and perhaps he senses my reservation so he continues, “we’re just gonna check out the place. And I guess if you wanted to scope the place for guys, Niall and I could be your wingmen.”

He shoots me a smile and I’m staring at the dials on his radio thinking of how to say that I shouldn’t go. But the way he phrased that whole last sentence makes me need to reply to that first.

“Wingmen? You mean chicken wings right?” I joke and Harry shakes his head with a chuckle.

“I’m serious,”

“Um….” I start to say and am going to tell him that me clubbing was just a one time thing, but he cuts me off.

“I just wanted to ask you, and I won’t be drinking so if you didn’t either or if you did that would be completely fine,” he informs me and for some reason I start considering it.

I figure it wouldn’t be hurtful if I go and to just go and not to get hammered and for the most part I like Niall, so I know he will be fun to go with, as well as Harry. So I just decide to give in.

“Okay, okay I will.”

"Really?" Harry asks letting his happiness show for a few moments before he composes himself.

I nod and he settles back into his seat.

He drives for a few minutes before he brings something else up, something I was expecting.

"Oh, by the way…I believed you when you said you’d never kissed Zayn," he says out of no where, completely catching me off guard.

"Huh?" I ask before I’ve had any time to think about what he just said.

"I just knew you weren’t lying."

I gulp because that doesn’t exactly make me feel any better, though I thought I was over the whole thing to be honest.

"Oh, how did you know?" I ask softly and he sort of shrugs.

"Well I just believed you, then I asked Zayn," he says taking me even more by surprise. I want to laugh because I never though he would have the guts to just ask Zayn about something like that. Heck, I wouldn’t either if I was him.

And just when I thought I was beginning to get a read on this kid, he went and totally rewrote everything I knew about him. It almost made me want to laugh at how random Harry was, at how unlike other guys he was.

Harry, he was definitely different.

;

“Is that your fourth one?” Niall asks me and I cannot hear a word he says over the loud music, but he holds up three fingers then four and I know what he’s saying.

I nod and Niall bugs his eyes out in shock. Then I turn back to Liam and Sophia who were able to go out with us as well.

“Ready?” Liam says and puts another shot in front of me.

I nod and we wrap our arms around each other before downing the next shot.

My eyes shut in disgust as the liquid burns its way down my throat and I grip the table as the new amount of alcohol mixes with my brain.

When I open my eyes though Liam looks the same as me and Sophia is snapping pictures of us.

After dancing for nearly two hours, I think a few shots is well deserved, and I’m about to ask for anything when I spot Harry making his way over to us. I decide I need to take a break when I see him walking back over from the opposite bar with his hands carrying sodas and his face wearing a look of bewilderment.

“Are you doing shots with her?” he shouts, somehow being heard over the music as he sets the drinks down and stares at Liam.

Liam shrugs a little and grabs Sophia by the hip, pulling her closer.

“Liammmmm,” Harry gripes as he leans farther away from me as if I can’t hear what he’s saying. But I’m very focused on him and can hear every word he’s saying.

“What’s wrong with shots?” I ask, hitting his arm.

Harry looks back over at me and sighs, “I just thought we weren’t gonna get hammered tonight, we’re supposed to be checking out the club.”

Niall makes a weird sound and pushes his way over to me, leaning up against my stool as if he’s come to my defense.

“It’s all good mate,” he says and he may have had as much to drink as me, maybe more, “she’s being inducted.”

Harry rubs his temple and then looks over at the crowd for a bit.

“Look at that bird over there, her arse is spot on,” I hear Niall say as he leans over me to chat with Harry. Harry sees where’s he’s pointing but doesn’t look like he’s really listening much. I wish I hadn’t been either. I grab Niall by the shoulder and move him to the other side so I can turn around and look at the crowd.

I glance over to the other side of the room, where there are little booths and benches and my eyes lock onto some guys who seems to have already been staring over at me. I offer the smallest of a smile and then regret it when I see the stranger get up and make his way over to me. I start to panic for a bit but don’t have much chance before he’s sliding up beside me.

“Heyyy,” he says sounding way too smooth. Like butter on toast smooth. So smooth I’m not very impressed.

“Hi,” I reply back and he smirk as he looks at my empty glass.

“Can I get you something to drink?” he asks and I’m about to say sure when I feel a hand on my leg and turn to see Harry there.

“Can I help you?” he says taking the guy by surprise.

“No, just getting this pretty girl here a drink,” he replies, looking Harry up and down. I just gap as I stare between the two.

“Well she’s with us…with me actually,” I hear Harry say and I narrow my eyes at his lie.

The guy looks at me as if I’m gonna side with him, but I don’t, so he huffs and grabs his drink.

“Fine, her lose,” he says and turns on his heels.

Harry watches him go and then removes his hand from the top of my pants.

I glance at him and his expression softens for a bit and then goes stiff again before he speaks.

“Don’t look at me like that,” he says and I just drop whatever I was thinking about telling him as I cross my arms and hear him laugh.

“Can I have another drink?” I ask, looking at my empty glass.

“I don’t think so,” he replies and I open my mouth in a loud gasp.

“I thought you weren’t even gonna drink?” Harry asks with his own smirk, and though he’s correct, that’s clearly not the case anymore.

“I thought you were gonna show me a good time?” I say back and he tilts his head to me.

“I think you’ve been having a lovely time actually,” he says and I nod.

“I’d have an even lovelier time if we could all dance again,” I tell him and Niall pops over.

“Yeah Harry! C’mon,” he shouts and I hop off my stool.

Harry shakes his head, “you guys dance weird.”

I sigh and Niall just groans.

“Fine then, Niall will dance with me,” I say and grab Niall’s hand.

I pull his arm around me and we shake and twist our way over to the dance floor, not taking ourselves seriously in the least.

The DJ’s playing a song that I like and clearly Niall does also as he spins me around and then pulls us together in a hurry making us both erupt in laughter.

It’s not till I see Harry walking over with a different look on his face that I feel the need to step away from Niall. Niall’s still dancing before he notices what’s caused me to stop.

Niall looks at Harry and then at me and shrugs.

“Knew you’d get jealous mate,” I hear Niall say to Harry and I squint my eyes at them, but Harry ignores his friend his eyes locked on mine as he grabs me above the elbow, pulling us together in a thud.

I grunt as the front of our bodies hit and he drops a hand behind my back, keeping me against him as if I was gonna run away. I look at him for a moment before we start moving to the music and I can’t even concentrate on his eyes looking at me, because I’m too overwhelmed by his hips. I immediately wonder if he’s taken some samba classes or something to get them to move that way.

We dance a whole song, that much I’m aware of, but I don’t know how long we go on until I blink a few times and feel his breath heavy on my neck.

The song changes to something I don’t recognize and I feel woozy all over again as soon as Harry and I separate.

“Break?” he asks and I nod, removing my hands from him to lead the way back over.

I walk back over to my stool and look around for Liam and Sophia, spotting them over on the dance floor.

I sit down and attempt to order a drink when Harry swats my hand away and I glare at him.

“You’ve hit your limit,” he warns me and leans against the counter, reaching for his soda.

“Excuse me, you’re the one who started me in the first place,” I remind him, since he’s the one who bought me my first drink.

“I didn’t know it would lead to this,” he says, moving his hands up and down in the air to gesture to me.

I roll my eyes and grab his soda from him, but it doesn’t satisfy me at all.

So instead I drop my head to my arm and shut my eyes when I feel dizzy.

“I’m thinking perhaps we should call it a night,” Harry says looking at his watch.

I don’t even complain as I wave goodbye to Niall and the others and let Harry guide me out of the building because my legs feel like noodles after all the dancing but mostly due to the alcohol.

I stumble out and feel Harry’s hand on my arm and then I hear a song come on inside the club as soon as we are outside heading for the curb.

“I loveeeee that song,” I cry out and make a motion to head back towards the door.

“No you don’t,” Harry says and yanks me back, probably more forcefully than he planned but it makes me angry all of a sudden.

“Let go of me,” I shout and rip my arm from his grip. I stumble over to the wall and grab at it as I try to adjust my extremely uncomfortable shoes, “I don’t need your help.”

“Says the girl who can’t stand up straight,” he says back to me, his voice not quite as loud as mine.

“I’m fine! My feet just hurt,” I say and he laughs.

“Char you’re a mess,” he says and makes a move towards me but I slap him away, only really slapping the air.

“I don’t neeeeed your help Harry, you’re such a buzz killer,” I whine and rub my eyes.

“Are you joking?” he asks making me feel even more inflamed when he laughs again.

“No! First you wouldn’t let me drink anymore, then you wouldn’t let that cute guy buy me a drink, now you’re forcing my home,” I yell, “I can do whatever I want!” The raise of my voice makes my head spin and I nearly slide off the wall when I feel Harry’s hands on my waist as he catches and steadies me.

I frown and close my eyes, expecting to fall, but when I open them they are so very close to Harry’s that if it was light out, I could nearly see my reflection.

“You’re a mess Charlotte,” he says once more, his eyes flicking to my lips and back up. I don’t even realize what this means, and I’m about to yell at him for calling me Charlotte when he leans forward and connects our lips in an instant.

One second, two second, maybe even three seconds pass by before he pulls away and stares down at me with wide eyes.

I do the exact same up at him.

“Char, Char I’m soooo sorry I-“ he starts to say and then seems to lose his voice.

I gulp and watch him panic.

I just shake my head when he tries to speak again and tell him I’m gonna get a cab.

When he says we can share one I shake my head even harder, feeling the slight bit towards sober, if only just for an instant.

“No, I’m fine,” I warn him and get into the cab I’ve just hailed.

I get in and watch as Harry disappears in the window and all I know is I’m pretty sure I’ll wake up not remembering anything from this night, but I’m pretty sure I’ll remember that kiss.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Charlie claims she doesn't care about Harry's love life, but she lied, cause she does.

It’s been a week since I went clubbing with Harry, Niall, Liam and Sophia, and I’ve only seen Harry once since then.

Which is quite weird, seeing how before that I practically saw him every day. And it’s not that we just haven’t seen each other, because that’s not the case. And I wouldn’t feel so bad, but Harry is avoiding me, and all I want to know is why.

I mean he’s the one that kissed me.

He’s the one that made the move and apologized and whatever, and now he didn’t even have the nerve to confront me? For some reason I couldn’t see Harry being the type of guy. I mean I’m sure he had snogged hundreds of girls before and he probably never regretted any of those. So what the heck made me any different?

I considered asking Zayn about it. I was over at his flat the other day and it seemed like the perfect time, but he seems completely unfazed by the whole Harry and I thing, so naturally I acted unfazed as well. All I could think about was how Zayn would probably think there was more to my feelings for Harry if I did ask him about it all. And it wasn’t as if I wanted to tell him that Harry had kissed me, cause I didn’t.

“Charlie?!” I hear Zayn’s voice say quite loudly. My head snaps up to where he is by his desk and I look at him and at the paint cans in his hand. His face is pulled into a frown and I realize I have no idea what he just said.

“Huh?”

“You didn’t hear anything I just said?” he asks, ignoring my voice.

“No I just…start all over,” I say waving it off.

Zayn stares at me for a moment.

“What’s bothering you?”

I want to tell him that’s not exactly starting over, but I just roll my eyes.

“What-nothing,” I stammer out and he sets his spray paint down to walk to me.

“If you need to talk about something, I’m here,” he tells me, giving me his full attention. Which is the opposite of what I had currently been doing due to my little daze.

Do I need to talk about something? I didn’t know if that was a specific question or just a general one. And I consider spilling my guts right there and then because I just really want to know Zayn’s opinion on things. Just find out what he knows and what he thought about everything. Instead I was left thinking up the answer all on my own as to why Harry all of a sudden hated me, and it was killing me.

“No, no I’m fine. Just been a busy weekend,” I brush off and he looks at me a bit more before he shrugs and walks back over to his desk. He launches himself back into his story about doing a graffiti mural for one of his art assignments, and I pretty much know I’ve missed my chance to talk to him about my whole ordeal.

So I listen to what he has to say but in reality all I’m able to think about is Harry and how if I had lost him as a friend before we even really became friends, well then that was gonna be tough on me.

Here I had been, fighting to not let every thought I had of him be able wanting to draw him, and how I was spending my time trying to think of how I could repair things between us.

I thought I’d have my chance when we all went out to lunch a few days ago. It was just Perrie, Zayn, Eleanor, and I. I was the only one seated to see the entrance and I clearly saw as Louis walked in with Harry tugging behind, and the second Harry spotted me beside Zayn though he turned on his heels.

I only caught a quick glimpse of him and Louis arguing before I looked away and by the time Louis appeared at the table, he looked at me as if he hadn’t known I had seen Harry, but I had.

That was the first confirmation I made towards the fact that he was avoiding me.

The second was thanks to Niall.

“Harry was asking about you,” Niall tells me, one day when I ran into him on campus and he asked if I would go to the photo shop on campus with him, where he had to pick up from prints for his photo class.

I nearly freeze while looking at the camera lens and he just proceeds normally. But there’s nothing normal about the fact that Harry had been asking about me.

“What was he saying?” I ask Niall and he shrugs, scratching his hair.

“Just asked me if I had seen you today,” he continues to explain, “that was this morning.”

Niall walks around the corner and I just stay there, wondering why Harry has to keep tabs on me if he’s the one avoiding me. It’s not like I’m trying to run away from him or anything.

“Oh, that’s weird,” I mumble and Niall pops his head up over the small aisle.

“Why?” he asks startling me, and I gulp.

“Uh, cause um-“ I start to say and Niall narrows his eyes at me. And I don’t know what it is about Niall, but I just want to tell him my life story because he looks like a good listener. Plus he’s looking at me like he expects me to tell him a secret, and I nearly do, “He’s just mad at me, I think,” I admit softly.

“How come?” Niall almost laughs, making me want to drop the whole thing all together, cause laughter is definitely not how to solve this issue. I narrow my eyes at him.

“Why are you laughing?”

“Cause I doubt he’s upset with you?” Niall says with a roll of his eyes and I get the feeling for an instant that Niall knows something I don’t.

“Well something’s up with him.”

I groan and follow Niall over to the front counter to see if his prints are ready.

“Have you tried talking to him about it?”

No I haven’t.

“Well no.”

“Are you going to?”

No I’m not.

“Well no.” I repeat, sounding a bit more annoyed this time.

Niall turns and gives me a bored look.

“Then I don’t know how to help you buttercup,” he says with a wink and doesn’t mention anything else anymore.

I’m wondering if maybe I should take the same approach.

;

So I let the whole Harry-not-speaking-to-me thing go. But I guess it wasn’t completely gone from my mind. So perhaps it was a mixture of having a crappy couple of days, and a lot of homework, but something made me need to release my building irritation in some way.

I’ve never been one to deal with holding in emotions real well, so it only seemed natural to let out some of my feelings through my art work.

That next day I rent out one of the spare art rooms and buy a half gallon of red oil paint amongst other colors. My long hair’s braided behind me and I have on my large denim shirt over my clothes, and my only goal is to make an extremely abstract painting.

After painting a canvas the size of half the wall all red, I dip my hands in different color paints and splatter them all over the canvas.

Two hours later, I’m cleaning off my brushes and hands when there’s a knock on the door and Eleanor pops her head in.

“Hey there I was just- oh wow!” she says when she catches eyes of the painting behind me.

I laugh and greet her back.

“That’s something,” she remarks, stepping closer.

“Eh, it’s not my finest hour. But it was fun.”

“I love it,” she tells me, turning to give me a big smile, “oh well I just wanted to come by and make sure you were still breathing, ya know, with the fumes and all.”

“Oh yeah, well I’m still living.”

“Good good,” Eleanor says and looks back over at the wall.

“Charlie, how did you manage to get every color but red on you?” she asks, pointing to my shirt and my hair.

“It’s in my hair?”

“Yeah, your tips are a different purple now. Looks good,” she laughs and I grab my hair to look at the ends. Sure enough it looks as if I dip dyed my hair in purple paint, a different shade from the color it’s already dyed.

“It does, doesn’t it,” I think out loud and finish cleaning my hands in the little sink before whipping my phone out of my bag.

“What, are you gonna take a picture?” Eleanor asks as I hit a number on my phone and wait for it to ring.

“No,” I whisper to her before Lou says hello on the other end of my phone.

“Hello Charlie, how are you?” she greets me happily.

“Great, I was just wondering where it was again that you got your hair colored, I remember you mentioning it in class,” I explain.

“Oh at Bleach, they are great and- wait, are you interested in getting your hair colored?” she asks me with a gasp, but a happy one I think.

“Yeah, well my ends, they need a touch up,” I say into the phone while looking over my hair.

“That’s fantastic! I can give you the number and I can make your appointment if you’d like,” she squeals.

“That’d be great, okay,” I say and I thank her and she thanks me and when I hang up Eleanor is looking at me with wide eyes.

“You’re such a little rebel,” she tells me and I shrug a little.

“University is really corrupting you Charlie.”

If she only knew I had kind of already been corrupted before.

;

“Eleanor, it’s totally fine,” I say over the phone as I stand on the curb outside the hair saloon in utter defeat. It’s all due to the fact that Eleanor was supposed to pick me up after eleven o’clock, but she was being held up at IKEA, and now she couldn’t.

“No no, I can be there in twenty minutes,” she claims and I sigh.

“I could walk home in that time,” I say with a fake laugh.

“Well…I’m sorry but I’m in line, and they are taking forever,” she sighs.

I’m about to reply back with an ‘it’s okay’ blah blah, but I hear Louis’s voice as they talk about pillows or something and then he apparently grabs the phone.

“Charlie dear, is this you?” he asks and I’m guessing he hadn’t been there while I was speaking to Eleanor like five minutes ago.

“Yes…” I say slowly.

“We are a bit caught up here, but Har-Harry cmere!” he calls out making me jump, and I hear Harry’s voice in the background as Louis says something to him, “Harry can pick you up.” He says, speaking to me again.

My eyes grow wide. This definitely was not part of the plan.

“Harry’s there?”

“He is yes, and he can pick you up” Louis replies and says something to Eleanor.

“Oh my gosh, no no, he doesn’t have to do that,” I say automatically and here Louis begin to disagree with me.

“Sorry dear, but he’s already out the door I’m afraid,” Louis says making me roll my eyes.

“Charlie?” Eleanor asks once she’s back on the phone with me again.

“What?” I say back, not meaning to sound rude, just irritated.

“I’m really sorry, but Harry will go get you, alright?”

“Does he even know where I am?” I ask.

“Yeah, I gave him the directions and address,” she informs me as if she was prepared for this whole thing. That thought only makes me more irritated though.

For some reason I have the feeling that even if Harry didn’t have a clue where he was going, he would be able to find me in no time at all.

I feel pretty defeated as I stand there waiting for him to pull up. He does within five minutes and I climb into his passenger seat.

He smiles at me, I smile at him. He gives me a little hello and I give him one back. And then I just start blabbering.

“Harry thank you so much for coming for me, you really didn’t have to cause I was already gonna take the bus, but just..just thanks,” I say all too quick, making him glance over at me.

“It’s fine Charlotte, it’s no problem at all,” he seems to remind me and silence falls over me.

I’m thinking of whether I should thank him again, because I really do want him to know I’m grateful, but my mouth feels dry all of a sudden. I remember it’s probably due to the fact that after he drops me off he’ll probably go back to ignoring me.

“Can we talk about something Charlotte?” he asks me about five minutes into the drive.

I gulp and give him a nod.

“I just wanted to say that I’m sorry for what happened the other night,”

I actually consider asking him what happened the other night, just so I can confirm that he did in fact kiss me and I wasn’t actually imagining something that had happened when I was buzzed.

I don’t really care to embarrass him though.

“Oh.”

That’s all I’m able to get out.

“I just didn’t know if you were mad at me and-“

“Is that why you’ve been avoiding me?”

The question gets blurted out of my mouth but I don’t try to stop myself. I just say it and then stare at him for his reaction. I notice his hands grip the steering wheel a bit tighter and his adams apple moves, but he quickly tries to regain his composure.

“Erm…no,” he offers me weakly.

I sigh, “Harry, I was never angry with you.”

“Oh, you weren’t?”

“Nope,” is all I say.

“I just thought… I don’t know,” he starts to mumble and rubs his hair with his hand.

I don’t know what else to say really, so I don’t say anything. Because I don’t exactly want to talk about the whole thing, and I have let him know that I wasn’t upset with him, so there’s really nothing else to say.

Apparently he’s thinking the same thing, that is until I do think of something to say.

“So we’re still friends, right?” I ask, again turning to look at him.

I see him smile, the first smile I’ve seen from him in over a week.

“I sure hope so,” he replies, and I have a feeling we’re going to be just fine.

;

My life resumes to normalcy, or at least it tries. But everyone seems to be just as busy as me, if not more, so our weekly lunch get togethers or pub runs start to dwindle. Except for Harry.

He pops up in one of my classes, actually sits next to me in the huge auditorium and just sits there as I listen to the lecture and take notes.

It makes no since as to why, but he does.

He’s always doing random things like that.

Afterwards we go out for smoothies, and luckily we don’t spill any of them this time.

I go out to lunch with Zayn the next day, and he informs me of his plan to do a mural during art week, which isn’t until December, but he’s already planning it and seems utterly excited about it.

My whole day’s made listening to how happy he is about it, and I’m even happier when he asks me to select colors and stuff with him one day soon.

The weekend arrives and it’s not even a break from school work, because I’m trying to get a head start on something I have due.

I’m halfway through a Psychology assignment when I hear rather loud talking coming from the kitchen and peak my head out to see Louis and Niall standing there chatting with Eleanor. I consider just closing my door and pretending I’m not there, but Niall sees me and instantly yells my name out.

“Oh hey Niall, what are you doing?” I greet him as he rushes over and pulls me into a hug.

Louis stays at his seat at the counter but greets me when I walk over.

It’s not till I’m in view of Eleanor that I notice she’s got the counter full of different sorts of cupcakes and cookies, and then it all makes since as to why two teenage boys are here.

Recently, Eleanor has taken up the hobby of baking, and it turns out she’s really good at it, but when she bakes she makes enough to feed an army, which is the equivalent to Niall at any time of the day.

“We get to be the testers!” Niall says happily as he sits back down again and reaches for two cupcakes when he sees Louis is already munching on one.

“You can have one to Charlie,” Eleanor smiles at me as she tightens her apron around her.

“Are you sure you can spare any love, I don’t think there are enough,” Louis gaps, his voice drenched with sarcasm.

“I’m gonna take some to the neighbors,” Eleanor says, ignoring him as she puts some on a little tray and heads to the front door.

“Don’t let them touch the ones by the toaster,” she tells me and I just nod. Niall throws his head towards her though, looking upset.

“And why not?”

“Cause they are cooling,” she replies over her shoulder and opens the door, letting out a little yelp is response. We all look over at her to see Harry standing there at the door, “gawd Harry, you startled me.”

“I came for the cupcakes,” he says and tries to grab one from her, but she slaps his hand and points over to where we are all standing.

“Hey Hazza, got the message I see,” Louis says as Harry looks at me and automatically walks over to greet me.

“Hello,” he says as he hugs me, much tighter than Niall, but not any longer. I greet him back and hear Louis make a sound like he’s choking.

“Fine ignore me then and go for the girl, that’s fine,” Louis complains, making Harry step away from me.

“Sorry, I like her more than you,” Harry says with a shrug and walks around to select a cupcake off the counter.

“We all know that,” Louis says back, making Harry narrow his eyes at him.

Louis glances over at me and I forget I’m staring at them bicker so I poke Niall on the shoulder and ask him which one’s his favorite.

He tells me he’s tasted all four already, and the strawberry one was his favorite.

I go for that one as Eleanor walks back in with an empty plate.

“Where’d you take them?” I ask her.

“I think everyone in 2D was home so they took them all,” she says with wide eyes.

“They were actually home?” I ask her and she nods.

Eleanor pushes Harry out of the way so she can get to the ones that are unfrosted and the boys chat quietly about football until Niall turns on his stool to look at me.

“So Charlie, you going to the Halloween party with us?” he asks me and this is the first time I’ve heard of any Halloween party.

I swallow my last bite and shake my head, “what party?”

“The one at Perrie’s friends house, we are all invited, so I’m sure you are as well,” he tells me and I look over at Eleanor for some guidance.

“Niall, none of us know the details yet, do you?” she asks him and he gives her dead eyes.

“Well no, but I’m going,” he seems to confirm making Louis chuckle, “oh and we have to dress up, it’s required.”

“I went last year, and it was fun,” Harry tells us, but he kind of looks at me more.

I’m gonna reply and say that yeah I can probably go if everyone else is, and if Perrie’s going then Zayn is so I would definitely go. But Louis speaks first.

“Yeah cause you picked up that Jessica girl,” Louis brings up and Harry’s face drops, as does my tolerance for the turn of this conversation.

“Why the hell do you always bring shit like that up?” Harry asks him and Louis puts his hands up.

“Hey, someone has to keep track for you, since you can’t,” he says back making Harry roll his eyes.

“You’re such a good friend Louis,” Harry says holding his cupcake a little too tight.

Before Louis can bring anything else up about Harry’s blossoming love life, I take another cupcake and start to back away.

“Alright well, well I’m gonna finish my cupcake and my homework in my room. Talk to you guys later,” I say and turn on my heels.

“Oh alright,” Niall says and I hardly look at Harry before walking off.

I’m in my room for a whole five minutes when I hear a knock on my door and Harry steps in before I can go open it for him.

“Hey, we’re gonna go get something to eat, wanna come?” he asks me, his upper half in my room and other half out of it.

I think about it, and I probably would go if I didn’t have homework to finish. But even if my homework was completely finished, for some reason I just don’t want to go.

“Uh…no I should finish up here,” I tell him and he just nods.

“Alright uh,” Harry starts to say and then steps inside my room, shutting the door quietly behind him, “listen, I wanted to tell you something.”

The urgency in his voice has me turning myself around unintentionally, ready to hear what he has to say.

“I just wanted to say that Louis kind of exaggerates my, erm, my love life,” he struggles to say, playing with his hands.

I can’t help but narrow my eyes at him, “Harry, why are you telling me this.”

“I just…I don’t want you thinking that of me, so uh,”

“Harry, I am familiar with your track record,” I admit to him, taking him off guard. But it’s true. I hear the way they talk about him, and I had asked Zayn about it before. I wasn’t gonna think he was scum or anything though, I just understood that was who he was. That was the type of guy he was. Which was another reason why I didn’t believe we were a good match.

Now Harry looks at a loss for words, “Well I mean-“

“But I don’t think any less of you,” I finish off.

By now Harry looks like a fish out of water, opening and shutting his mouth as he finds oxygen.

“Oh, alright,” he replies quietly, pressing his palms against his jeans.

“Why did you think I would care?” I ask him truthfully, and I try not to sound rude, but I’m not sure if he interprets it correctly.

“Uh…I don’t know,” he mumbles, doing everything in his power not to look at me, “do you?”

His question evokes something from me, something that makes me quite irritated. So naturally my voice reeks of irritation.

“Do I care? What, about how many girls you’ve been with?” I almost laugh, because he’s dumb to think I did, “it doesn’t bother me.”

He nods and keeps staring at the floor and just says okay before opening my door and looking at me one more time before he leaves.

I wait until he’s gone to let out the breath I had been holding in without even realizing. I then roll my eyes at myself, because telling him that I didn’t care was a lie. A lie I didn’t even realize was a lie until I allowed myself to think about it and say it out loud.

But I told myself I shouldn’t care, so I guess I just forced myself not to care.

;

“I don’t even know what this is,” I say, holding up a costume as I try to decipher what the heck it is.

Niall squints and looks at it.

“I think it’s a hula dancer,” he replies making both Zayn and I stare at him weirder than we had been staring at the costume, because clearly it wasn’t a hula dancer costume.

“I don’t think it’s that mate,” Zayn says and walks past us.

“Hey Charlie, you should go as a hula dancer,” Niall says and starts moving his hips like he’s from Hawaii or something.

“Why do you say that?” I ask him and he chuckles softly.

“Cause your hips don’t lie,” he tells me matter-of-factly, and I mean it was no secret I had wider hips than what I would have liked, and some curves, but I hadn’t really expected Niall to point it out.

My jaw opens and I watch him wink at me and then head off after Zayn. Zayn looks at me and just rolls his eyes at Niall.

We continue our way through the costume store and I really have no idea what to wear to the party next weekend, but I know this is my only chance to pick something, so I’m on a mission to find something that’s doable.

“How about Elvis,” Zayn points out to Niall, but he seems unimpressed by everything here.

“Nah…don’t think so,” Niall replies.

I come across a dark curly haired wig and get the idea that I can pull off a rather impressive Lorde costume. I walk around the corner to show the guys and find Zayn with his arms full. From his dreadlocks wig, black eyeliner, and pirate hat, I get the sense he’s doing some sort of pirate thing.

“What’s all this?” Niall asks.

“Figured I can do a pirate costume,” Zayn says but Niall’s still staring at him, “like captain sparrow or something.”

We nod and head to the registers. Zayn and I are standing in line waiting to pay and of course Niall didn’t pick anything out.

“I’ll just get something before the party,” he tells us and I mentally count how many more days we have till the party. Halloween is less than a week away, so I have the feeling Niall will be throwing together a last minute costume.

;

It’s become routine that after my art history class, and after Harry’s plain-o-regular history class, we meet for smoothies.

Usually we text each other to say if someone is on their way or not, but I arrive first and Harry hasn’t texted me at all.

I’m sitting at our usual table wondering if I should order without him, when he walks in, a smile on his face as soon as he sees me there.

“You want your usual?” Harry asks me after greeting me.

“Oh yeah, I do,” I say and get up to go stand in line.

“No no, I got it,” Harry says and walks to the counter.

I stay in my chair and wait patiently for him to walk back over with two smoothies in hand.

Harry acts like nothing’s different, and I guess it isn’t.

"Are you excited for the Halloween party?" I ask him as he slurps his drink rather loudly, something he knows bugs me. But he still does is anyways.

"Yes very, have my costume idea already and everything," he tells me, playing the case on his phone, making me look at his hands.

"What are you going as?" I ask him and he just smiles.

"Erm…it’s a surprise," he says and I roll my eyes.

He takes the chance to look at something on his phone and then pops his lips off his straw to tell me something.

“Oh I’m gonna be in art class this week, the professor just asked me to be there last minute, so I’m not sure what you’ll be doing,” Harry informs me, because he usually gives me a heads up on what to expect from the class. Which is usually good because I get to prepare myself for when I get to see him shirtless or something. And that’s the sort of thing I usually have to wrap my head around before hand.

“Oh great, I bet it’ll be something random,” I comment, seeing how last week I had to draw the models in weird yoga poses.

“Most likely, but maybe I’ll have my shirt off and it won’t be so bad,” he says with a smirk, and it’s almost like he knows him shirtless is my weakness. And it makes me want to puke.

“You’re so full of yourself,” I laugh and he gives me a face as if he’s offended, “or is that another misconception of you I have.”

Harry stares at me hard for a bit, almost making me feel nervous of his green eyes locked on me.

“Yeah. You have too many of those,” he replies, and I sip my drink so I don’t laugh instead.

“I guess I do.”


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Harry dresses up like Miley Cyrus, and takes a girl home from the party, it's just not the girl Charlie expected.

I pull down at my black lace dress and make sure my heavy wig is snugly on my head. I don’t believe my lipstick could be any darker, so I think my costume of Lorde is pretty spot on. Or it’s the most spot on it’s gonna get.

I hear a knock on my door at the same moment my phone rings.

“I’m here,” Zayn’s voice says over the phone and I just hang up on him as I open the door to see him standing there in a rather amazing costume of captain Jack Sparrow. I definitely give him props for going all out.

“Perfect timing,” I say and look at my wrist, even though there’s no watch, and lock the door behind us.

“Of course,” Zayn says and we walk to his car. I laugh a little because Zayn is always late for everything, but somehow he managed to arrive on time to pick me up.

"I really thought we’d be late," I say and he just shakes his head.

"We still might be, no promises," he laughs, "nice costume by the way,” Zayn comments once we’re inside his car.

“Thanks, just had to wear a lot of black, like you do sometimes,” I joke, resulting in him rolling his eyes.

“You’re so funny,” he gives me back weakly and I commend him on his eyeliner, asking if he did it himself. He just tells me Perrie did it and then had to leave early to help her friend set up for the party.

It takes about thirty minutes to get to the other side of town where Perrie’s friend lives, but Zayn chats about his sisters, who apparently were talking with my sister and we stay on that subject for the whole drive pretty much.

We arrive to the fairly large house in the upscale part of town, and there’s hardly any parking. After lopping around the neighborhood nearly five times, Zayn ends up parking fairly far away from the residence.

“You could have dropped me off near the door,” I complain, wondering if it was the best decisions to wear the black platform shoes I have on right now. Perrie was the one who let me borrow them.

Zayn ignores me and walks right up to the door after checking his phone. He just lets himself in through the front door, which is open, and I follow behind him, as if on cue Niall and Louis appear in the hallway, drinks already in their grip. Niall is in a full on Disney prince outfit, which is very surprising seeing how he must of just threw the whole thing together.

“They made it!” Louis says, with white and black paint all over his face, something I’m sure he did himself.

“Hey Zayney, Charney!” Niall says, over the music coming from the back of the house. Niall’s always so happy to greet you that it’s starting me make me happy as well. He pulls Zayn into a hug and then tries to pulls me into one at the same time but Louis has an arm around me so the four of us are tangled for a few moments.

“Charney?” I ask him, he just chuckles.

“It’s my third beer talking,” he replies.

We follow them into the kitchen area where some girl is handing off mixed drinks as well as some from ice chests that line the wall. I take the chance to tell Niall I love his costume and he just shrugs it off as if he knows he’s gonna win best dressed tonight or something.

I spot Eleanor chatting with the girl making drinks and go over to say hello.

She greets me and of course the guys are very interested in the choice of alcohol, but I’m more in awe of the house though, because it’s huge and gorgeously decorated and everything looks very expensive. I would have been deathly afraid of having a party with a bunch of university students to say the least.

I’m almost too distracted that I don’t notice Liam and Sophia appear through the door after some people file through for their share of drinks.

Perrie appears as well in a cute cat girl outfit and I know it’s only a matter of time before she’s pulling Zayn off to mingle with the rest of the people that she knows at the party.

"You’re outfit came together nicely, the shoes were the perfect touch," Perrie tells me after I say how cute she looks. And it’s true, cause she’s just one of those girls that always looks cute.

I’m about to tell Sophia that I love her Jessica rabbit costume, when I recognize the figure behind her.

My mouth nearly drops to the floor when I see him there in tiny beige colored spandex, with a foam finger on his hand, and two mini buns on the side of his head. I can’t even believe my eyes, but there stands Harry in what appears to be a very swell interpretation of a Miley Cyrus costume.

The second he walks in his eyes are on me and I try to regain control of my jaw, but I’m fairly sure he saw it on the floor. I brush it off and pretend to be unimpressed by his outfit.

Apparently everyone here has already seen him in it, so all eyes flutter between the two of us as he greets me.

“Nice hair,” he tells me, thankfully skipping the hug, but he does reach for my wig and tug on a few of the ends.

I restrain myself from looking him up and down, again, and instead gulp.

“Nice…foam finger?” I say in the form of a question, making him laugh at my embarrassment, which was quite strange since he was the one wearing very little clothing. He was the one who should have been uncomfortable. Yet he was so damn confident it didn’t faze him one bit, “by the way, I don’t remember Miley having all those tattoos.”

He smirks and looks down at his own body, making me flush.

“Guess I had to improvise,” he says with a shrug.

I roll my eyes and push his shoulder to go stand next to Liam and Sophia.

Harry comes up beside me and if I were to move back an inch I would literally be leaning against him.

It then occurs to me that if I want to keep my sanity in check tonight, I should probably stay the farthest away from Harry that I can.

;

My plan doesn’t go over too well. We all shuffle to the next room and attempt to take over the make shift dance floor laid out in the huge living room area. All furniture has been moved out and instead little couches and benches are set up around the room. It pretty much looks like this house was meant to be set up as a club.

I try my best to not be stuck with Harry, though he pops up asking if I want a drink, but my plan wasn’t really to get wasted tonight. This place wasn’t familiar to me and I didn’t want anyone to be responsible for me if I did get so intoxicated that I couldn’t find my way home again. Plus everyone was coupled up, so I didn’t want to impose upon them.

Everyone from our little group, besides Niall, Harry and I was with their significant other tonight. This being said, I vowed to stick with Niall most of the night.

“You look so cute tonight Niall,” I tell him as we sit the next song out and regain feeling in our legs.

We had been dancing hard for an hour straight and I felt my wig was about to fly off if I tried to shuffle anymore. Try being the world.

My words are true though, because Niall went all out with his Prince Charming, or whatever prince he is dressed up as, and it makes him look extremely huggable to me, rather than like extremely romantic.

“Awe thanks buttercup,” he says and I smile.

“Why do you call me that?” I ask him, because I had never had the chance to before, but he was always calling me it.

He looks at me like he’s offended me, but that’s not the case.

“I don’t know. Why does Harry call you Char?” he asks me and I scrunch up my nose. I hadn’t really meant for this to turn into something to do with Harry.

“Dunno,” I just say.

Niall ruffles his hair and then looks back at me, “just wanted to be different I suppose.”

I take his words and just sit there, willing myself not to look around for Harry, cause last time I saw him him and Louis were spinning Eleanor around like a rag doll, and I felt bad cause Harry had asked me to be his rag doll, but I politely lied and said I had to use the restroom. I did take the opportunity to reapply my dark lipstick though.

There are a ton of people with great costumes, so I’m busy looking them over until I spot Harry’s easily recognizable hair buns on the other side of the room, standing awfully close to some chick dressed up in a skimpy bad cop outfit, full out with handcuffs and knee high tights.

My throat kind of closes and I get angry at myself for even bothering to care who he’s talking with, because it’s none of my business and I made that clear to him when he tried to explain his love life to me. But I didn’t care about any of that. I do for some reason roll my eyes and when I look back the other way Niall seems to have been staring to where I had been looking over at Harry, which makes me groan because I know I’ve been caught.

I try to push my hair into my face so he can’t see the red spill into my cheeks.

“Can I ask you something Charlie?” Niall asks, using my common nickname now.

I consider telling him no, but I just nod.

He leans closer to me and I’m extremely uncomfortable already.

“Do you consider Harry a good friend of yours?”

His questions catches me by surprise, because it was somewhere along the lines of what I thought he was going to ask, but it also bums me out because it’s confirmation that he knew I had been looking at Harry.

“Uhhh, yeah, yeah I think he’s becoming that,” I reply truthfully, watching the changing strobe lights light up against his face.

He just nods, “that’s good, cause Harry’s never had like a solid friend who’s a girl. He has a lot of guy friends.”

I guess I never really thought about that, but even just knowing Harry for a few months and I had seen he had a closer knit group of guy friends, and his friends who were girls were connected to the guys somehow.

I just listen to Niall as if I’m getting valuable information I can use somewhere later in life, but I guess I’m just intrigued with hearing what he has to say. It’s usually only Zayn who tells me things like this.

“Oh,” I just say naturally, and I’m not even sure if he hears me, but he continues.

“He’s had a lot of girlfriends, well girl flings. But not too many serious girlfriends,” Niall continues to tell me, making me just freeze up and stare at my shoes, “but I think he needs one.”

I decide to just keep my mouth shut and listen and when Niall looks at me I nod a little, as if to tell him to go on.

“I noticed he’s maturing a bit, and I noticed that happened ever since you two became friends.”

I gulp like I’ve just swallowed a whole cake and won’t dare to meet his eyes, even though I know he’s looking at me.

Cause what the heck does that even mean? He’s maturing because we’re friends?

That could obviously just be a coincidence. I mean Harry was in his second year of university. I knew he was probably a wild child before, but it made sense if he was starting to be a bit more serious about his studies and just reduce his partying to a minimum. I had even noticed this since he hadn’t gotten drunk at any of the social gatherings I had ever seen him at.

Maybe that was a coincidence to.

“Wait what do you mean he’s maturing, cause we’re friends?” I blurt out.

Niall wastes no time in answering, “like he just behaves himself around you, like he wants to impress you or something.”

This isn’t exactly where I saw this going, and Niall seems to notice this in my facial expressions as well.

“Like whenever we all go out, and you’re there, he doesn’t drink that much. But one night him and I went out by ourselves and he got hammered,” Niall explains, so maybe it wasn’t very coincidental at all.

“Oh.”

“Yeah, well I’m just saying that I think you’re good for him, and he really appreciates your friendship,” Niall continues on and I wonder if he would have been telling me all these if he hadn’t of had five beers already.

I consider telling Niall that Harry and I are just friends as if he needs the reminder, but instead I let my eyes wander over to Harry again.

I happen to glance over towards him to see him now kissing the girl, and my heart notices before my brain even does, but a second later Harry kind of pushes her away, and they talk but the girl looks angry. Another second later she looks quite mad and walks away from him. I whip my head around so Harry doesn’t see me looking if he does look this way.

“Doesn’t look like he appreciates it too much,” I say kind of quietly in reference to our friendship, but Niall’s even closer now and he hears me.

“Just trying to make you jealous I suppose,” he comments and pats my knee with a smile as he stands up.

I’m about to ask him about this whole jealous thing he’s also mumbling about, but I spot Harry in my peripheral vision.

“I’m gonna go get another beer,” I hear Niall announce, my eyes now on Harry who looks kind of upset.

“You alright?” I can’t help but ask him, only because I get the urge to go punch that girl, but I also don’t want to look at him right now either.

“Wha-yeah I’m great,” he says, shoving a smile on his face.

He sits where Niall had just been and doesn’t even say anything else to me, so I just let him seat.

“Did you happen to see the girl dressed up like Miley also?” I finally ask, tilting towards him.

He looks at me and nods with a little smile pulling on his lips.

“Yeah, her foam finger was better than mine,” he informs me, making me shake my head.

“But her execution of everything else was quite poor,” I say back, making him pull his eyes off the crowd and lock onto mine.

“Think so?”

“Definitely.”

He takes his bottom lip in under his top and I blink a few times before looking away from him as I play with my hair.

I consider bringing up what Niall had just been talking about with me, but that seems like a horrid idea. I also consider asking him what costumes he likes the best, but it’ll probably be one of the many girls wearing hardly any clothing. Many of those girls had been staring at Harry nearly all night, which made me question why he wasn’t pressing some girl up against the wall in the restroom right now, instead of sitting next to me moping.

For some reason I think that this is a good suggestion to bring up, but I have no idea why.

“Found anyone worthy of taking home?” I ask, trying to make small talk and act like I’m just another one of the guys.

Harry doesn’t seem all too comfortable with my question though. He crosses his ankles and looks away from me.

“Uh, not, yet,” he says each word so slowly I have to inch closer to hear him.

“Well there are plenty for the taking,” I seem to remind him, gesturing towards the dance floor where he should be at right now.

“Guess so,” he says, his voice trailing off.

“Well it doesn’t seem like you’re looking,” I say a bit forcefully, trying to reinstate the fact that I did not see him just snogging a girl at all. If he were to ask me I’d lie.

He opens his mouth to gap at me, “do you want me to look?”

I laugh as if this is very silly of him to say, “I mean, isn’t that why everyone’s here, to look for someone to take home?”

I don’t know where it comes from but the need to prove to Harry that he does in fact want to take a girl home becomes a mini victory I must achieve. I guess it’s because of what Niall said. But I don’t want Harry to act different around me or try to impress me or anything like that. I want him to be who he really is. I want to see him as he really is.

“Is that why you’re here?” he asks and I just shrug.

“Maybe.”

This finally seems to get through to him, and it makes me a bit weary but I’ll take it.

“Alright then,” Harry concludes and there doesn’t seem to be anything else I can say so I just decide to stop pestering him.

We just sit there for a bit before I see Eleanor and Sophia sitting on a couch not too far away from us. Eleanor sees me and waves me over, so I tell Harry I’m gonna go sit with them.

“Hey, having fun?” Sophia asks me as I take a seat beside Eleanor.

“Yeah, been dancing too much,” I say and Sophia agrees with me, claiming she saw me twerking earlier but I was doing no such thing.

Sophia talks about some of the costumes she likes the best and then she spots a girl she apparently knows and then calls her over.

“Hey Stephanie, my gosh you’re all over the place,” Sophia says to a pretty blonde girl in a little fairy costume who sits down beside her with a smile.

“Yeah I know, just making sure everyone’s having a good time,” Stephanie says, and it clicks into place that this is Perrie’s friend who owns this house. Apparently she knows Sophia as well. Stephanie then leans forward to see Eleanor and me.

“Oh Stef, these are my friends Eleanor and Charlotte,” Sophia introduces us and we shake hands with Stephanie.

“Nice to meet you,” she greets us and we greet her back, “you’re with Louis right?” she asks Eleanor.

“Yeah,

“And you, are you with Mr. Cyrus over there,” she says pointing over at Harry who’s talking with Niall now, and my eyes widen.

“Oh uh, no no, him and I, we’re just friends,” I mutter, trying to be heard from across everyone, but she just nods and says something along the lines of ‘oh sorry’.

I pull back and rub my forehead hoping I didn’t panic too much.

“So where are your siblings?” Sophia asks.

“Oh well, Melanie’s around putting coasters out everywhere and Jake is, oh he’s right over there…Jake!” Stephanie calls out and we all turn around to see some guy in a full on Captain America suit. And even from far away I can tell he has pretty blue eyes. As if he even needed to.

He hears his sister and strolls on over, removing his head mask thing to reveal his ash brown hair and a rather attractive face. He quite reminds me of a younger Chris Evans, which is fitting.

“Hey Soph, how are you?” he says and hugs Sophia, and it seems the two of them know each other as well.

“I’m good, finally got to run into you,” she laughs and he chuckles along.

“I know, it’s been a crazy night,” he says and then turns his eyes on Eleanor and I, “and who are these ladies?”

Sophia jumps into action introducing us to him and he shakes each of our hands.

I feel lightheaded when our hands touch for a reason that has nothing to do with alcohol.

“Are you girls having fun tonight?” Jake asks us and we instantly nod.

“That’s good, if not the hostess must not be doing a good job,” he says looking over at his sister. Stephanie reaches over to hit his shoulder and he puts his hands up, “I’m joking!”

“Okay okay…don’t you have to go fight crime or something?” Stephanie tells him with a roll of her eyes.

Jake nods and puts his mask back on, “you are correct, yeah. So I’ll see you girls later.”

With that he looks at us all again, his eyes linger on me though, that I’m almost sure of and he walks out of the room.

Stephanie chats with us some more and we get to meet her sister Melanie and then Harry starts waving at me from the dance floor and I can’t get him to stop so I have to dismiss myself from the girls to go see what he wants.

“What are you doing?” I ask, in reference to the weird dancing he’s doing and frailing around of his arms.

Harry just starts laughing and I spot Niall laughing as well from his spot behind me.

“What are you guys doing?” I ask, hitting both of them on their arms.

“I told ta she’d come,” Niall chuckles so I resort to staring at Harry instead.

“Niall said if we danced like you did, that you’d come over to us,” Harry tries to explain, but his face keeps being taken over by giggles, which isn’t helping me keep my cool.

“So you were dancing, cause it looked like you were in pain,” I say with my hands on my hips. This just makes Niall laugh even more and Harry just shakes his head.

“No we were trying to get you to come dance with us,” Niall explains to me and I just look between him and Harry.

“Are you kidding me!” I shout and try to turn away but Harry catches my arm.

“C’mooooon Charlie, just dance with us,” Niall begs me, so I just roll my eyes and stand there with them.

I can’t help but start dancing when a good song comes on and we kind of make our way outside to the balcony area where more people are dancing. We find Liam and Louis out there and I still have yet to find Zayn.

“I think I need some water,” I say, even though it’s cold outside but all this dancing is making me warm.

“Oooh oooh, bring me a beer, yeah Charlie?” Niall asks. I sort of wave and head back inside.

I spot Zayn and Perrie walking down the stairs with some friends. I do recognize Melanie though. I think of how I can get Zayn’s attention but he spots me as well.

“Finally I run into you, do I even wanna know what you’ve been doing?” I joke as he walks over to me and the rest of them walk outside.

He immediately rolls his eyes with a laugh.

“No Melanie had some artwork we were looking at, then I was out front having a smoke,” he says calmly, “what have you been doing?”

“Dancing, of course,” I reply.

“Of course,” he repeats, trying to copy my voice.

“You been drinking?” I ask him, because we aren’t even standing that close but I can smell the alcohol on his voice.

“Yeah um…can I leave the keys with you Charlie?” he asks, pulling his car keys out of his back pocket.

“Sure Zayn, yeah,”

“Alright thanks, owe you,” he mumbles and squeezes my arm before he heads outside.

I proceed through the house to the kitchen and look through the ice chest and drinks that are out on the counter.

“Looking for something particular?” a voice beside me asks, startling me.

I turn around to see Jake standing there with a smile, making me feel fuzzy inside.

“Oh hey…um, no just looking,” I reply, and rummage through the drinks, pulling out a beer for Niall on instinct.

“It’s Charlotte, right?” Jake asks crossing his arms.

“Yeah, uh, you can call me Charlie actually,” I say with a grin to match his.

“Charlie it is,” he replies looking at the drinks in my hand, “need help carrying them?”

I look down at the sodas, water, and beer in my hand and then decide what I should actually take back to the guys.

“What? Oh no…” I say as I put the beer back and grab another soda for Niall instead, “just grabbing some drinks for some friends.”

“Char…oh,” Harry says appearing in the doorway, when he spots me talking with Jake though he freezes, and so do I.

“Hey, you’re Harry right?” Jake says automatically, cutting through the tension smoothly. He extends his hand and Harry look at him and then me before he puts his own hand out.

“Yup. And you’re Jake,” Harry replies, but I notice he doesn’t ask him, instead he already seems to know.

“Yeah,” Jake nods, then turns his attention back to me.

“Alright, so Charlie, have you had a tour of the house yet?” Jake asks, completely turning so he’s blocking Harry off, making me unsure of what I should do.

“Uhhhhh,” I start to say looking at Harry as if he’ll tell me what to say. But he’s just staring at me unresponsive, “no I haven’t.” I blurt out to Jake.

He grins, “well come on then.”

I look down at the drinks I’m holding and Harry jumps into action.

“I’ll take those back for you,” Harry says and doesn’t wait for me to reply before grabbing them from me.

“That sodas for Niall,” I warn Harry and he just nods, taking the last drink from me.

Jake watches and wastes no time in guiding me out of the room. I barely have any time to look back at Harry before he’s left out the other door.

“So obviously you have the front room, the kitchen, there’s a restroom right around the corner,” Jake says, pointing out the rooms I’ve already been to, “oh, there’s a small office room more down the hall as well.”

“The upstairs is much cooler though,” he claims and ascends the stairs before I do. I follow him up, looking around the room and outside as we do. I catch a glimpse of the gang all hanging out around the fire pit.

Thankfully there are quite a few people upstairs as well. A game of beer pong is going on in one of the guest rooms, and Jake points out another restroom.

There’s a game room that is absolutely amazing and I wonder if Louis has seen it yet.

“This is the room I usually stay in,” Jake tells me, opening the door for me to see. I make sure not to walk all the way in though.

“And this is Stephanie’s room, which is pretty fancy look,” he says, holding the door open across the hall and I follow him inside.

I’m almost too caught up with the view to notice that Jake shuts the door behind him. Immediately the room falls quiet as I gasp at the view Stephanie has from the two walls of her bedroom that are all windows.

“This is gorgeous, my gosh,” I speak looking at all the twinkling lights and Jake mumbles a reply.

I look over at him and he’s looking at me kind of funny, which makes me nervous.

I’m mostly nervous because I had a sense of what he may have been up to, but in all honesty I’m not usually the girl who gets hit on by the guys or who guys always flirt with. Plus I didn’t have a lot of experience flirting or any of that, so I told myself I must be horrid at it.

Jake doesn’t seem to mind that though as he steps a bit closer to the side of me.

“I really like your costume,” he tells me.

“Thanks, it’s not the best but yeah,” I say, pulling on my dress.

“It’s unique though, unlike most of the girls who are wearing cat ears or princess costumes,” he says with a roll of his eyes as he pulls his phone out when he seems to receive a text message.

“You wanna head back down?” he asks a moment later and I feel like letting out a breath of relief, but it’s quiet so I force myself to hold it in.

“Sure, yeah,” I reply already heading for the door.

We’re just about down the stairs when Jake tells me he’ll see me later, and I watch him head into the kitchen where his sister is.

I walk back outside and find Zayn and Perrie with their arms around one another as they kiss, and I sigh because obviously they must be nearly pissed drunk to be showing huge amounts of PDA.

Other than Niall, everyone else appears to be near sober.

That is until I see Harry with his arm around a girl as she laughs at something he’s just said. I don’t recognize her at all but she definitely isn’t the girl he kissed earlier. Still I don’t feel as if I can keep up here.

“Finally, there you are,” Eleanor says, grabbing me by the arm once I’m in reach. Of course I’m forced to look away from Harry, “when are you thinking of calling it a night?”

“Uh, dunno, whenever,” I say, feeling tired all of a sudden.

“Well we are planning on staying a bit longer, but them two over there need to leave soon,” she tells me, pointing to Zayn and Perrie.

“Yeah, I agree,” I say and hold up Zayn’s keys, making Eleanor look happy.

“Okay perfect, can you give Niall a ride as well,” she says and I just nod as Niall turns around to the sound of his name.

“C’mon Niall,”

“Oh wait wait, what about Harry…HARRY!” Niall yells across the balcony and Harry looks at him in panic.

“No don’t bother him, he’s with a-“ I start to say but Harry’s already bounding over and the girl’s gone, and it’s freakin magic how he can make a girl appear and disappear beside him, “nevermind.” I mumble.

“Are we leaving?” Harry asks and I almost consider asking him who he even came with but I just nod as he looks between Niall, Eleanor and I.

“If you want a ride, then yes mate,” Niall says and tilts his head at me.

“Yeah, just help me get the two love birds,” I say and we walk over to Zayn.

Luckily they both get up and walk to the door with us and outside. We’re all able to walk to the car parked down the street even with Niall complaining and they all pile into Zayn’s small SUV.

“You know how to get home?” Harry asks, somehow ending up in the passenger seat, but thankfully he has a jacket and a pair of sweats on now. But his little buns are still distracting.

“Uh…” I say as I pull onto the street.

“I do, so I’ll be your co-pilot,” he says and Niall’s complaining again about not having any room behind Harry’s seat.

“It’s not my fault I have long legs,” Harry shouts back making Zayn shout about why we are being so loud.

I just roll the windows down to freeze them out and Harry helps navigate us back home.

Once we’re back in the general area of our houses and the university, I know how to get around.

“I don’t even know where to drop everyone off at?” I realize, seeing how everyone needs to be dropped out at a different place. Harry’s either a quick problem solver, or he’s already had this dilemma figured out.

“Drop Perrie and Zayn off at Zayn’s, and then you and Niall can crash at my place,” Harry tells me, and I glance over at him, “I’ll tell Louis to stay at yours and Els place.”

I don’t even consider this very long and just agree to it, because I’m tired and I recall Harry and Louis’ couch being comfortable, so I imagine I could fall asleep on it really quick.

“Fine by me,” I say and pull up to Zayn’s place five minutes later.

They willingly cooperate and Zayn mumbles a thank you as I walk them to the door and I tell him I’ll give him his keys tomorrow but he already seems asleep when he nods and shuts the door.

I make sure it’s locked before I head back to the car and drive to Harry’s.

Niall wastes no time heading for Louis’ room, and I’m already on the couch when Harry comes out of his room with his blankets.

“What are you doing?” he asks, his eyebrows furrowed.

“I’ll sleep on the couch,” I tell him, my wig already off, “are those for me?”

He stares at me harder and sets his things on the arm rest, “no I’m sleeping here, you can have my bed.”

“Your bed, no gross,” I say making a grossed out face, but Harry seems uninterested in my jokes. Probably because it’s like two in the morning.

“I put new sheets out and everything for you,” he explains, but I’m already taking off my shoes, “I left you a pair of practice shorts and a tshirt if you wanted to change.”

I want to be irritated, because Harry is always thinking ahead, even if he’s about to knock out due to being tired.

“Well I’ll take the clothes, but I’m sleeping on the couch,” I say starting to walk to his room.

“No I’m sleeping on the couch,” Harry says a bit louder, making me turn on my heels.

“Harry I’m not sleeping in your room!”

We stare at each other for a few moments before Harry puts a hand on his hip.

“Well I’m not either, so I guess I’m sleeping on the floor,” he says throwing his hands up before he starts laying out his blankets and this time I groan.

“Whatever…” I say under my breath and storm into his room.

I grab his clothes without even considering sleeping on the bed. I use the restroom and don’t even attempt to rub off my makeup. I change into his baggy clothes and walk back into the living room to see him lying there on the ground with a blanket that barely reaches over him. His socks are just about poking out and he has his arms crossed over his chest. I note he’s shirtless now.

“You’re serious?” I ask just to see if we are done bickering or not.

“Very,” he tells me, glancing up at me as I set my things down and climb onto the couch.

“Fine,” I say.

“Fine,” he replies, “turn the lamp off first though.”

I reach over and do so and then finally lay down and try to get comfy, but I have to bend my legs because I don’t even fit straight out of the couch, which confirms there was no way harry would have been able to sleep here comfortably.

We both lay in the darkness and in silence for a while, before I glance down at Harry, trying to see him in the dark.

“Harry?” I say softly.

“What,” he offers back, almost rudely.

“Thanks for the clothes.”

I hear the blankets move below and when I look back over I can vaguely see his eyes lit by the light spilling through the curtains from the street lights outside.

“You’re welcome,” he says and then sighs as if he’s gonna go to sleep now.

I let another moment pass before I’m gonna speak again, but Harry beats me.

“So…you and Jake?”

I hope he doesn’t see the way I nearly jump in response to his question, but I’m just very taken aback by it.

“What?” is all I’m able to say.

“You and Jake. You like him?” Harry just acts like it’s normal to know each other’s crushes or something. But it’s not. And frankly Jake isn’t even a crush of mine, he’s just a boy I met.

“What? No…I just met the guy,” I say in my defense. And it’s difficult that I can’t see Harry’s face at all now as I lay on my back and look up at the dark ceiling.

“Oh, I thought your little tour of the house was…oh never mind,” Harry tells me, but I know there’s more he wants to say.

“I think he was just being nice Harry,” I say louder than I meant.

“Nice, yeah.”

The way he says it has me feeling irritated again.

“What about you, did I kill your chances of bringing home a bird by making you leave early?” I ask, and I think I’m starting to become delusional due to my tiredness.

I actually hear him chuckle and I’m put off once again.

“No, not at all.”

“Why didn’t you bring a girl home then?” I ask.

“I think I did,” he says back and I actually reach down to try and hit him, because he’s referring to me, but that’s not what I meant at all. I feel his arm and then he pushes my hand away with his.

“Loser, that’s not the same thing!” I nearly shout.

“Why are you yelling?” he laughs, trying to whisper.

“I’m not,” I whisper back loudly.

“I thought you didn’t even care?” he reminds me, and I just know there’s a smirk on his face.

“I don’t.”

“Well alright then,” he concludes, making me fall silent.

Again, we sit in the silence for a bit before I decide my eyelids are too heavy to keep fighting, so I should let gravity take over.

“Night Harry,” I say so soft that if he’s already asleep I know he won’t hear it.

But I hear him breathing when he replies, “night Char.”


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Harry asks Charlie to be his date, but not like a date date, just as a friend.

It’s a rather chilly November afternoon when Zayn asks me to go art supply shopping with him and I’m pretty ecstatic to come along because him and I weren’t able to have lunch this last week like we usually do. He’s been working on his upcoming art project in full effect this whole week even though art week isn’t until mid December.

“I just need a few more black paints,” Zayn says and fills his small hand held cart with more paint cans. They don’t really fit though since his cart is already full so he tries to put them in mine but mine’s packed as well.

“I’ll just carry them, give em here,” I say and grab them from him.

Zayn surrenders them over and looks at everything he’s collected as if to check and make sure he has everything he needs.

“This is everything?” I ask.

He nods before turning around, then stopping, “oh wait, I was gonna look at the canvas paper.”

I follow him down another aisle of the large craft/hobby store and wait as he bends down to look at the different supplies.

I could have spent hours in this store, looking up and down the aisles and shelves, and I knew Zayn could as well. But right now I just really wanted him to be done, because my stomach was growling due to the fact Zayn had told me not to eat, then to tell me we were gonna eat later at Perrie’s. Pretty much he had tricked me.

“Alright, yup this is it, let’s go,” he finally decides and I thank the heavens for the fact that Zayn isn’t too indecisive.

“Hey have you figured out what you’re drawing for your anatomy drawing class final?” Zayn asks me, looking over his shoulder as we walk back to the front of the store. I make sure to look away from him though because I really don’t even have a clue what I’m going to draw for my final.

I’ve thought of various things I could draw, but I hadn’t been able to settle upon anything that really sounded good.

“Um, I’ve thought of some things,” I say, which isn’t a lie, but I know he knows in an instant that I have no idea what I’ll be drawing. Zayn just knows how my brain works, which is scary.

“What did you do in class last week, I thought the professor was gonna go over it,” he tells me and I recall what I did in that class last Friday. Then I remember Harry was there.

“Oh we were working on body movement. Like running, jumping and stuff. Harry was there so it was kind of fun and-“

“What do you mean Harry was there?” he asks, turning a bit more to look at me.

I’m not even aware that he doesn’t know what I’m talking about so I just blurt out, “oh Harry was the student model and-“

“Wait…Harry models for your art class?” Zayn asks, causing me to nearly bum into him as he whips around and stares at me, his eyes narrowed.

While his eyes shrink, mine widen. I realize perhaps I shouldn’t have said that, but I just completely forgot Zayn didn’t know about it.

“Yeah, yeah you didn’t know?” I try to play it off, tilting my head to the side, making him stare at me harder.

“No.”

“I thought Harry told you,” I suggest but Zayn doesn’t seem to believe me. It’s believable though, cause Harry could very easily have mentioned it to Zayn.

“No, he didn’t,” Zayn says, his shoulders dropping, “why didn’t you ever mention it?”

That’s a very good question. But I don’t even have a solid answer to give. I didn’t even have an idea of what I could say that would get him to believe me.

“I just…I thought you knew,” I reinstate, but by now Zayn seems to have already made up his mind about things, and I don’t believe they are in my favor.

“Okay,” he says and we finally proceed to the front.

I stay quiet as he pays for his things, and I help him get his bags and carry them out to his car. It’s not till we’re on our way to Perrie’s to eat that he speaks about it again.

“Why don’t you draw Harry for your final?” he asks me, making me freeze.

I nearly slap myself for not thinking of that sooner. That was a perfect idea. I would finally have an excuse to draw Harry up close the way I wanted, and I didn’t even care if it would be awkward for either of us because that’s how much I wanted to use him as my final project.

But then I look over at Zayn and realize that perhaps I shouldn’t let him know how perfect his idea seems to me.

And I don’t know what he wants me to say, cause if I say yeah then he will know I want to, but if I say no well he will probably still know that I want to draw Harry. So really what harm is there in just telling him.

“Uh, yeah,” I say quietly, really thinking about it. Because I could see it all unfolding right now.

The location. The media used. The subject. I could see the whole thing coming together nicely.

“You should ask him,” Zayn continues to say and I’m chewing on my lip like a piece of gum.

“Perhaps I should,” is all I say before he drops the subject and I don’t try at all to bring it back up.

;

“Niall what is this even for again?” Eleanor asks after Niall’s just done explaining something he wanted her and Louis to help him out with. We’re all seated out on the grass outside his dorm, eating frozen yogurt even though it’s freezing out, but the sun decided to shine just a little so we were taking advantage.

“Ughhh, for my photo portfolio,” he says with a groan, pulling his spoon from his mouth.

Louis looks over at me and I just give him a look that says I have no idea what he’s talking about.

“Thought it was just like a beginner’s photo class, mate?” Louis asks.

“It is, but I think I’m gonna pursue it as a hobby, I really like it,” Niall tells us, “I’m already signed up for the advanced class for next semester.”

“He just really likes taking pictures of females,” Louis points out, “Barbara in particular.”

At the name I try to refrain from looking at Niall, because I knew things with him and Barbara were up and down and all over the place. I even asked Zayn about it and he just said they were complicated. But surprisingly Niall doesn’t look too offended.

“Are you two back on?” Eleanor asks, reading my mind.

“Eh, who knows,” Niall just says with a shrug, scraping at the last of his frozen yogurt.

Louis gives Eleanor and I a little nod, out of view from Niall as he looks down. And then my phone goes off.

“It’s Harry,” I say, answering the call, “what?”

“Well don’t sound too excited to hear me,” Harry says with an exaggerated groan, “where are you guys?” he then asks sounding flustered.

“We’re sitting outside,” I say, looking around.

Louis says something about how Harry’s probably blind and Niall nods along.

“Outside Niall’s, right?” Harry asks me, and I roll my eyes.

“Yes Harry,” I reply.

“There he is,” Eleanor says as I turn to see Harry walking out of the main dorm building as I end the call.

He throws his arms up as he walks over, “it’s cold outside, why are we having a picnic?”

“Says the one wearing only two layers,” I point out, because Harry seems to only have a Henley and thicker jacket on over it.

“I’m always warm, alright?” Harry tells me standing there above us for a moment with his hands on his hips.

I do remember how every time I’ve contacted Harry’s body, he’s been abnormally warm. Maybe he was a natural furnace or something.

“They were craving frozen yogurt,” Louis says nearly cutting off my thoughts, pointing at Niall and Eleanor.

Harry looks at me and I just stare back at him as he takes his spot next to me, rubbing my shoulder to say hello.

“How’d your Saturday exam go?” Louis asks, and Harry makes a face of disgust. He then opens his mouth in what I know will be a rather long story about how his exam went, but Niall beats him.

“Hey hey, why don’t you two let me photograph you?” Niall says cutting off Harry as he leans forward and puts his hands up as if to frame Harry and I.

Harry looks between me and Niall and looks quite confused.

“What are you going on about?” Harry asks as I sit there, wanting to scoot away from Harry now that I realize we are sitting kind of close.

Niall catches him up to speed and Harry’s just nodding along the whole time.

“Yeah, yeah I’ll be a part of it if you need me to be,” Harry concludes because of course he’s just so willing and helpful and nice.

I’m already rolling my eyes when Niall looks back at me for my answer.

“You asked Lou and El first, think you should stick with them,” I say and Niall looks unconvinced.

“Whatever, you two will be my plan B,” Niall tells us and then starts saying some of the ideas he had in mind for his photo shoot. Eleanor is trying to look interested, but Niall keeps getting off topic because he’s clearly excited about this all, but his thoughts are a bit all over the place.

Then we all get onto the topic of what classes we’re taking next semester since we’ve already starting signing up.

"You’re taking Stats?" Harry asks me and I pout and nod.

"I have to take at least one math class, so that’s the one I chose," I tell him.

"I’m taking it tooooo," he says with a smile and puts her hand up to his chest.

"Good, so you can help me so I don’t fail," I say honestly, but Harry mumbles something about how I’ll have to help him because he sucks at math also.

We sit out for another half hour before we start to get cold and Harry finally claims he’s freezing.

“I think we should have pizza tonight, you think we can all go out for pizza?” Louis asks when we walk back to the cars. Niall was going back to Louis and Harry’s place to play video games and I didn’t know where I was going exactly.

“Yeah, I’m up for that,” Niall agrees immediately.

“Can’t we just order in?” Eleanor suggests.

“I do have coupons,” Harry announces, making us laugh, “don’t be jealous cause you were gonna throw them out!” he tells Louis, smacking his back.

“Alright mum, we’ll use your coupons,” Louis says, settling down his laughter.

“Okay, I’ll give Charlie a ride home and we’ll hang for a bit, then we’ll see you guys later,” Harry tells them, making me turn to look at him.

“Huh?”

“Well I doubt you wanna go play video games right?” he asks me and I shrug, “exactly, so we’ll go to your place for a bit and then we’ll go back to ours.”

Harry tells me this and I look at the others and they are just staring at me, so to avoid more embarrassment, I just nod.

“We’ll see you guys later,” Harry says, already going around his car to the driver’s seat.

I just say goodbye to the others and Harry smiles at me before pulling onto the road.

This is like the millionth time I’ve been in Harry’s car for him to give me a ride home. Truth is I’m starting to feel bad. I’m about to make a joke about it when Harry clears his throat and talks.

“Hey uh, are you busy on the 26th of this month?” Harry asks me, “well that whole weekend actually.”

I turn to look at him and he’s purposely not looking at me. Instead he’s tapping his thumbs along on the steering wheel to the song playing quietly on the radio.

I mentally check my memory for my schedule, and I do think I am free on that weekend.

“Um, I think I’m free,” I tell him and he nods.

“Okay cause my family is always on my case about me not bringing home girls and stuff like that, “ he starts to say and I have no idea what he’s gonna ask of me, “ and well I was just wondering, I wanted to ask you, if you would go back home with me to my sisters graduation and stuff, as my date,” he explains and at the word date I widen my eyes and he sees me and instantly starts mumbles away, “well not like date date, just as a friend of mine.”

Just as a friend? Well he and I were in fact friends. I don’t know why I don’t even consider not telling Harry yes. The thought of turning him down doesn’t even cross my mind, so I simply nod and tell him yes.

“You will?” he asks, seeming just as surprised by my answer as myself.

“Yeah, if you need me to,” I just say back.

“You sure, I mean if you don’t want to you don’t have to but-,”

“No I’m sure Harry, we’re friends after all, it’s the least I could do,” I say, grabbing his arm to gain his attention, and it works.

“Oh alright,” he says with a little smile, as if he’s holding back and I get the sense he’s really happy that I’m agreeing to go with him, “thanks friend.” He says making me want to chuckle.

He glances at me as he continues to drive and I realize we’ve had far too many important discussions in his vehicle while he gave me rides home. I conclude I could have prevented all this by not letting him drive me around places. But I don’t regret anything at all.

Harry and I spend the afternoon looking through my art books and sorting my art supplies and I even give Harry a tutorial on how to paint some flowers with watercolors. Well actually he nearly begged me to show him how to paint something, and since I couldn’t say no to him, I agreed.

But in all honest he’s kind of terrible at it and keeps doing the opposite of what I’m instructing him to do. I just gave up on being teacher though.

“I never was the artistic child, that was my sister,” he says as he blends the colors again in the tray by accident. I wait till he’s cleaned off his brush again before I dip my own in the purple paint.

“I was always the shy artist. I wouldn’t like people to see my drawings and stuff, but I was always doodling away in notebooks,” I tell him with a soft chuckle, finishing the petals on my flower.

“Was Zayn like that?” he asks.

“The opposite actually, drawing was the one thing Zayn was always confident in, he was always drawing things and showing them off,” I recall, remembering a few examples from our childhood quite easily.

I glance over at Harry, and he’s really staring down at his art work.

“What about your family, did they support your love of art?” Harry asks, as his eyebrows dip down in the middle, in concentration as he paints another weird looking flower.

I recall how my family was always supportive of me, but I secretly knew my father wished I would have done something that required more book smarts from me. It was only natural, seeing how he was an eye doctor.

“Uh…yeah, guess so,” I just say, making Harry break his concentration and look at me.

“You’ve never really talked about your family,” he says softly, “what are they like?”

I had never really talked about them to Harry because there really wasn’t much to say. My parents always supported whatever I did, they were just a bit controlling, which is why I was a bit of a rebel in my teenage years and was why I wanted to get away from my hometown. I only have one younger sister and I missed her dearly, but I knew she’d make my parents proud so I tried not to corrupt her.

“There’s not much to say,” I tell him, repeating it after the thoughts in my head. I glance at him again and he’s got his head titled as if he’s waiting for me to go on.

“My parents are great. Just a bit strict, uptight, and I know it’s cause they always wanted the best for me, but, I don’t know…it kind of back fired for a while,” I just ramble and Harry has set his brush down and his big green eyes are locked on me. It hadn’t occurred to me before that he was a great listener.

“I get the sense there’s more to this story,” he says and I just debate whether or not to explain a bit of my past years to him. I don’t really want to bore him though.

“No no, there’s not really…” I mumble, pretending to be preoccupied by my painting again.

“Fine fine, don’t tell me,” Harry huffs, “what about your sister Lauren, you’ve told me about her before,” he reminds me and yeah, I had mentioned things about my sister because I thought her and Harry would get along. They were both kind of nerds and had similar taste in music. Plus her hair was almost the same length as his, so I figured they could bound over ways to style their hair with headbands and scarves and things.

“Oh yeah, well she’s a hoot, you’d like her,” I say as if I know this to be certain.

“You’re a hoot to,” he replies, making my little giggles subside. He’s probably just saying that though, because there’s no way he really thinks that.

“You know what, we shouldn’t be talking about me, we should be talking about how I’m gonna make a good impression with your family,” I say all of a sudden. Harry just shakes his head a bit though.

“Oh you don’t have to prepare much, I know they’re gonna love you,” he tells me catching me off guard.

I want to ask him why he thinks so, but I’m afraid for his answer, so I just watch quietly as he goes back to painting.

“Oh really?”

“Yup,” he says, nodding as he paints a bit and then holds up his paper, “there, I think I’m done.”

I look at mine and conclude I’m finished as well. So I just drop the whole talking about his family thing and look at both of our paintings.

“Yours actually came out pretty good,” I say, but Harry just laughs.

“When you look at it separate from yours, then I guess,” he says and I nudge my shoulder into his.

But then Harry looks at me like he’s in a daze, and it snaps me back to reality. A reality where two friends can paint pictures of flowers together and chat about their families with no strings attached. I couldn’t help but wonder what it’d be like if there were string attached though.

;

Even with the colder weather, I’d been riding my bike a lot more lately due to the fact that Niall recently got a new cruiser, so now we both went on the bike routes nearly once a week.

On a Thursday afternoon, after finishing my psychology homework early, I rode onto campus and met Niall outside his flat.

We ride for nearly an hour, taking the winding routes and paths that eventually led us back to the university campus.

When we get back, Zayn’s waiting on the front steps of Niall’s dorm.

“Hey Zayn,” I say with a smile as I hop off my bike and over to him.

“Eyo Zayn!” Niall says a bit louder.

I haven’t seen him in a few days, cause he’s been working on his art mural ideas in his art class a lot this last week. And I’ve been busy with homework, so it’s not like we’ve been able to just meet up for a coffee or something.

“Charlie, how are you?” Zayn says, waving over to Niall as he parks our bikes on the bike rack.

“I’m good, how’s your mural going?” I ask him.

“Good, I think I have it all worked out,” he tells us and Niall invites us up to his place.

“So what brings you to my place Zayney?” Niall asks as we head through his doorway.

“Oh uh, I heard Charlie was here,” Zayn says and I look up at him to see both of them looking at me.

“Oh yeah?” I ask him, wondering how he found out I was with Niall.

“Yeah,” Zayn says, “I was gonna ask you if you’re free this weekend.”

Luckily I’m grabbing a water bottle from Niall’s small fridge when Zayn says this, so I’m able to keep my face out of view of the both of them. I realize this weekend I am busy, because it’s the weekend I’m going with Harry back to Cheshire. I gulp, because I hadn’t really planned on telling Zayn about it like this. I don’t know why, but I just hadn’t mentioned it to Zayn because I didn’t know what he would think of it, and I didn’t really want to explain to Zayn once again that I only saw Harry as a friend. But I sure as hell didn’t plan on telling him anything in front of Niall.

“I am busy actually,” I say, keeping my face even as I turn and meet Zayn’s eyes.

“Whatcha doing?” Niall asks and I wonder if the two of them are in cahoots against me or something. I decide beating around the bush won’t get me anywhere though.

“Harry asked me to go with him to his sister’s graduation this weekend…like as his date.”

Niall’s eyes widen at my words but Zayn’s stay the same and I realize I said that all wrong.

“Not like date date, just as a friend, and-,” I mumble and Niall seems to be getting a kick out of my apparent embarrassment.

“So you’re going away with Harry for the weekend?” Zayn asks, his face still unchanged, I groan because I really need to learn how to do that.

“It’s not a big deal,” I say with a little chuckle, and I just really wish Zayn hadn’t have put my on the spot. It feels like when Zayn found out Harry modeled for my class. All this would have been easier if Harry would have just said something to him before I had to tell him myself.

“Yeah, alright,” Zayn just says and drops the subject, like he does with everything when it comes to me. I just ignore him, because I’m upset he had to do this here.

We stay at Niall’s for another hour, but I’m ready to leave as soon as Zayn and Niall start talking about how all the guys need to go play football together soon, but they keep mentioning Harry’s name and I don’t know if it’s on purpose or not, but it feels that way.

I can’t exactly say no to having Zayn give me a ride home, I just let him and tell Niall I’ll pick my bike up tomorrow.

I’m quiet half the ride until Zayn vocalizes his concern for me being upset, because I know he knows that I am.

He asks me what’s up and I huff and turn to him.

“Just, why’d you have to put me on the spot like that in front of Niall?” I ask, crossing my arms.

Zayn glances at me as he drives and doesn’t seem all too phased by my question.

“What, cause I asked you about going off with Harry?”

I roll my eyes at the way he phrased that.

“Yeah, I just don’t want Niall thinking I like, have a crush on Harry or something,” I say, playing with my hands, “because I don’t.”

“I know, you and Harry are just friends, right?” Zayn asks and I roll my eyes.

“Yesssss.”

“Niall knows that to,” Zayn tells me back but it doesn’t really make me feel better.

“Just…why didn’t you just ask me about it when it was the two of us?”

If he had done that then none of this would have happened, and everything would have been fine. But no, Zayn had to have no filter when it came to what he talked about with me in the present of others.

“I didn’t think it was that big of a deal, you and Niall are friends aren’t you?” he asks me and I nod.

“Well yeah.”

“And you don’t have a crush on Niall do you?” he asks, making me gasp.

“What the hell, no!” I just about shout, because what the heck does he even think of me?

“Then it didn’t jeopardize anything Charlie, so it’s fine,” Zayn tries to explain, but I still feel angry.

Zayn’s logic makes zero sense to me, but I know thinking about it a lot won’t help any so I just sigh and give up, letting Zayn win.

;

Oh course after hearing Niall talk about Barbara, she would show up in my art class the next Friday.

She greets me as soon as class is over and we’re all walking out.

“Hey Charlie, how have you been?” she says like we are close besties, but really I’ve only seen her once in class before since that first time we all went out to dinner together.

I do know her and Niall are kind of back on though, so I figure if she’s friends with Niall than I can openly chat with her.

“I’ve been great. And you?” I ask, and we make small talk about the class and about her school work.

“Hey, so how’s Niall?” I sort of blurt out, and I notice Barbara is a bit surprised by my question, and I didn’t even know what I expected her to say back to me, and the question just came out of my mouth without me knowing. But her question back at me makes us even.

“He’s good, yeah. And Harry?” she asks me.

I wonder how she expects me to answer back to this, because even I don’t know. So in an attempt to not be taken aback by her words I just answer her.

“He’s doing good,” I reply, because I’m sure wherever Harry is right now, that’s he’s good.


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Charlie goes back home with Harry and meets his family.

Sure enough on a Saturday morning, after grabbing Starbucks as our breakfast, Harry and I head off for Sheffield, where Gemma’s ceremony is being held. The drive goes by quick since it’s not too far, but I’m wondering how the drive to Holmes Chapel will be like, since I’m guessing it won’t be just Harry and I, but I’m just guessing.

During the ride, I surf twitter with one hand and sip my drink with the other before I remember I get motion sickness, especially with the way Harry drives, so maybe I shouldn’t force a headache upon myself.

“Wanna play the license plate game?” I suggest, putting my phone down under my leg.

“Or eye spy,” Harry suggests, and obviously he’s already been thinking about a game to play. I don't believe that eye spy is the best game to play when driving though, especially not for him.

“How bout we just change this music,” I point out, looking at which button to press to turn off his weird indie music he has on.

“What, no.”

“Aren’t history majors supposed to listen to like literature books on audio or something?” I ask and raise my eyebrows at him to show how serious I am being.

“That’s a stereotype,” Harry claims and I laugh.

“And you don’t follow any stereotypes, do ya?”

“No…guess not,” he replies with a smile.

I consider right there and then asking Harry if he’ll let me draw him for my final, and I know he’ll say yes without any hesitation, but I don’t want him to think I’m going with him this weekend only so he can repay me by doing that. I wasn’t doing this as a bribe or anything.

“Fine, I have a bunch of CD’s in here,” Harry says, trying to open the center counsel as he drives.

I swat his hand away and open it myself, going through his CD’s until we both decide upon the Arctic Monkeys album.

I disobey my previous decisions to not go on my phone and text Zayn, telling him we are on our way already.

Eventually we arrive to our destination and attend Gemma’s commencement an hour after greeting some of Harry’s family outside of the place where the ceremony is being held.

Harry’s mother is perhaps the sweetest person I’ve ever met, and I instantly understand where Harry gets his charm from. I get to meet Gemma briefly as well and it’s clear why Harry speaks so highly of her. Though she’s a bit intimidating, or a lot, she’s kind and has nice hair and she actually initiates a hug from me which I thought was cool. The rest of Harry’s family that’s here are also really sweet and I almost feel comfortable sitting there beside Harry during the commencement.

After the graduation ceremony, we all go out for an early dinner, but Harry informs me that the real celebration doesn’t start till the next day when the rest of his family will all get together in Holmes Chapel.

I sit next to Harry at the restaurant and talk the whole time with Anne. She’s a natural conversationalist and it starts to rub off on my usual quiet nature I take on around people I’ve just met.

This makes me feel at ease sitting there with his little family, it makes me feel like I’ve done this all before. Perhaps Harry being there is the reason for my calm nerves though, because he’s eating off my plate and shooting his straw at me just like he would if we were out with all our friends.

The thought reminds me that I never texted Zayn back, because I didn’t want to be rude and go on my phone at dinner. I figure I can text him tonight or something when I can sneak off for a bit.

While dining with Harry’s family, the issue never once comes up as to what I am to Harry, I figure he’s already told them that we are friends and just friends. Something that’s fine by me.

We make the drive to Holmes Chapel and Gemma opts on riding back with Harry and I, insisting she’ll take the back seat even though I offer her the passenger spot.

I’m a lot quieter, listening to the banter between the two siblings, and I can tell they are quite close. Gemma does actively keep me in the conversation though, seeming quite interested in the fact that I’m an art student.

“That’s impressive, I like you already Charlie,” Gemma says from behind my seat. I knew she sat their purposely so when Harry looked over his shoulder at her they could see each other, blocking me out of eye shot.

She chats about what’s next for her in her career, and I’m extremely impressed by her science degree, something I knew I could never pull off.

It’s early in the evening when we arrive to Harry’s hometown, and I’m really surprised he doesn’t go home more often, because it’s really not that far from Manchester. Then I remember him saying how his family is always getting on him about not bringing a girl home or whatever. So perhaps that has something to do with it.

“We should look at some old photo albums,” Anne says when we settle into Harry’s childhood home and I chat with his mum and step-dad.

“Great idea, yes,” Gemma agrees, following her mom out of the room.

I look over at Harry and he’s rolling his eyes.

But even as Anne and Gemma flip through old pictures from Harry’s younger years, Harry’s got this smile on his face, watching as they laugh and show me some pictures, making me laugh as well. In fact he’s got a smile on his face all night, when his mom makes his favorite cookies, and when I nearly fall over on the couch because of how funny I find a four year old Harry in a princess dress.

He’s got a smile on his face all night.

Robin's asking Harry about how Harry's doing in his classes and I take the opportunity to slip out on the porch to call Zayn.

"Too busy to return my texts I see," Zayn says after we've said hello.

I give him a nervous little laugh and take a seat on a lawn chair, bringing my jacket closer around me.

"I've been busy yeah," I reply, "Harry's got a lot of family."

"I see," Zayn says and I know he's probably got a smirk on his face, so I roll my eyes even though he can't see me. He asks about Harry's family. How his sister is and his mom because Zayn's met them like once before.

He asks about some of Harry's other relatives, but I'm not sure if I've met them yet, cause most of them won't arrive till tomorrow.

"Sounds like you're havin' fun?" he asks instead of just saying.

"So far yeah, the real party doesn't even start till tomorrow, so...," I mumble off and he's silent just listening to me. And I know Zayn's always been more of a listener, but I don't exactly just want to talk about me and Harry, "what have you been up to?"

"Just got back from dinner with Perrie, and just been working on homework," he says.

"Exciting."

"I scream excitement, I know," Zayn says making my laugh.

"Well I just wanted to call, since I couldn't text ya back," I say.

"Alright Charlie, I'll let you go," he tells me, "tell Harry 'ello for me."

"Will do, talk to you soon," I say and smile and I know he's doing the same.

I walk back inside and Harry pats the spot next to him, wanting me to sit there so he can show me some of his macaroni and glue art work that he made back in his younger days.

"No no, he actually made that one the other day," Gemma jokes and Harry tosses a throw pillow at her.

Finally the night wears down, once we’ve finished our cups of tea with milk and I’ve listened to another story Robin and Anne told about Harry and Gemma.

“Okay, ya know, I think we’re done with the stories,” Harry’s the first to say, followed by a large yawn.

“You’re right, we’ve got an early morning,” Anne says.

Then I say goodnight to everyone and Harry shows me up stairs. Instead of going into the guest room where I’ll be spending the night though, he says he wants to show me something in his room.

Harry and I stand in his room for a bit as he shows me some old photographs of him and Louis and even Niall.

“I didn’t know you guys went way back,” I say, grabbing the photo frame from him to get a better look.

This launches him into a story about how they played football together and that’s how him and Louis met Niall and then they all ended up in uni together. And I never really knew the story, Zayn had only told me bits and pieces, but I'm very interested in it.

“That’s magical,” I comment and he scrunches his nose at my response, probably because it’s pretty cheesy. I just laugh and steps away from me and the pictures.

“So…did you at least have an ounce of fun today, or was it all pure torture?” he asks me as he sits on the edge of his bed to look at me.

Funny how I use to call it torture when I’d have to draw him. It’s ironic really.

“It was all torture, I didn’t know if I was gonna survive,” I say dramatically, putting my arm over my eyes and when I peak back out, Harry’s got this toothless grin on his face as he watches me, like I’m a movie or something.

“What?” I finally ask, when he doesn’t pull his eyes off me. I knock my leg against his knee and he shrugs, pulling his eyes away for a second.

“I’m just really glad you were willing to come with me,” he says softly, almost dreamlike, as if someone else will hear, which may be the case if Gemma happens to have her ear up against his door.

“And I’m glad I came. Harry your family is wonderful, they really are,” I say and for some reason I sit down beside him, touching the top of his leg, “they all welcomed me.”

“I’m glad. I knew they would like you,” he seems to remind me and I turn my body more towards him.

“If you say so,” I reply, “you think this got them off your back for a while?”

“Huh?” he asks so I poke his leg and continue on.

“You know, how you said they are always pestering you about not bringing a girl home. Do you think this bought you some time before you bring the real thing home?” I ask, finding the words off the top of my head.

Harry’s looking up at the ceiling before he replies, “the real thing. Yeah I guess that’s what I’m in search of,” Harry says, almost more to himself and I just listen as he turns to look at me, “the real thing’s harder to find than I thought. For you to?”

I nod along, not sure if he’s joking or serious, but either way I do agree, “of course yeah.”

“Well I wish the real thing would come along already, here I am waiting,” Harry says, throwing his arms up dramatically.

“Okay, maybe saying the real thing isn’t the most romantic phrase,” I admit, chewing on my lip as I think of something else.

“What do you mean?”

“How about saying ‘the right girl’ or ‘the one’,” I list off using air quotes. Harry seems to consider this, adding his own to the list.

“Or ‘the real deal’, the ‘pea to my pod’.”

I giggle louder than I meant and he’s doing the same beside me. I shouldn’t be surprised with how natural our laughter sounds together, but I am. It sounds almost harmonic together.

“Yeah, I guess any of those will do,” he speaks first and I nod in response.

Detecting the silence and seeing how close we’re seated makes me stand up and move towards the door.

“Well I’ll let you go to sleep then,” I start to say, about to leave.

“Hold on, let’s both change and then meet me in the hall in five,” he says and I narrow my eyes at him as he now whispers.

“What?”

“Just go change and meet me,” he says rolling his eyes as he opens his door and directs me out.

I do as he says and five minutes later we are tip toeing down the stairs, in search of the left over cookies his mom baked. Sure enough we find them and Harry pours up two large glasses of milk and we go sit on the couch, watching random old movies on the telly, most of them being in black and white.

I steal another cookie off Harry’s plate and he’s staring at the screen like this is his favorite movie in the world. Even though I’m extremely tired, and my eyes have been fighting to stay open for the last hour, I feel too comfortable next to Harry to tell him I’m gonna head to bed.

“Harry?” I ask, setting my milk down on the coffee table.

My voice seems to snap him awake and he looks at me.

“Why is it that you’ve never brought a girl home before?” I allow myself to ask for whatever reason.

All I know is I’m curious though, so if curiosity killed the cat then so be it.

His eyebrows furrow as if he didn’t expect me to ask this question either.

“It’s not that I’ve never brought a girl home,” he starts to explain and I give him a look, one that says I’m not buying his act, “I just don’t do it often.”

“Why, do you bring a ton of guys home?” he asks me, turning the tables on me. I should have expected some sort of question like this to be thrown at me, but I know it’s no secret to Harry that I’m not exactly throwing myself at many guys, which would result in be not really taking many guys home to meet my family.

“Well no, not a ton,” I reply and he shrugs.

“Then see.”

“Well I just appreciate it then, that you found me suitable to bring home,” I admit to him and his face hasn’t changed expression, so I add, “you know, as a friend.”

“A friend yeah. Cause you are my friend,” he points out and to this I nod.

“Do you think Zayn’s jealous?” Harry asks me, “that you’ve become my friend as well.”

I’ve never really thought of this, but I didn’t see why Zayn would be jealous at all.

“I don’t think so. There’s enough of me to go around,” I confirm, “plus he has Perrie so…”

I don’t mean for it to come out sounding harsh, but it sort of does. Harry seems to notice this as well.

“Are you, jealous of Perrie?”

“What? No no, course not,” I say in an instant, “they are so good for each other.”

Harry just nods, waiting to see if I’m gonna add more, and I do.

“At first I was hesitant, only cause I didn’t know how she’d feel, since Zayn and I are close,” I admit, “but I think she understands.”

“Yeah,” he just says.

A moment of silence goes on between us. Harry’s the first to break it.

“It’s it weird that you and I have only known each other for a few months?”

“It is weird, feels like it’s been longer,” I reply and he agrees with a smile.

“Glad we’re friends now though, so guess that’s all that matters,” Harry says and uses the back of his hand to capture another yawn. I find it a suitable time to ask Harry is he wants to call it a night but he shakes his head.

“Just let me see the ending,” he says and I just nod and settle down against the pillow beside me.

Thirty minutes pass and the movie’s over, but Harry and I are fast asleep, him using my shoulder as a place to rest his head and me using his blanket as my own as we both fall asleep on the couch.

;

I awake the next morning to Gemma’s voice and luckily I have time to jump away from Harry before his mom is walking down the stairs. I try to pretend I was on the other end of the couch and ignore the fact that I’ve awaken Harry and he’s rubbing his eyes to look at me. I ignore him though to look over at his mom and sister and try to act civil to them.

“There you two are!” Anne says.

“Oh my, they must have fallen asleep on the couch,” Gemma says looking between us two, and I instantly know she knows we did. That doesn't stop her from saying good morning to me though and I greet the two of them back.

“Sorry, we’re up,” Harry says, running a hand through his curls and sitting up all the way.

“Good, cause I’m gonna make a quick breakfast and then guests start coming at eleven. So both of you go get ready,” Anne tells us and I hop to my feet before Harry does, beating him up the stairs and into the bathroom.

The entire day is extremely busy. It seems to serve not only as a celebration of Gemma graduating, but also as a huge reunion for much of Harry’s family. Mostly on his mother’s side, so I’m pretty much lost trying to keep up with everyone’s name since none of their last names are Styles.

“Harry, I’m horrid with names,” I remind him when he’s telling me a funny story about his aunt and cousin, but I forgot who he’s talking about, “who is it again?” Luckily I learn Harry has patience, something I lack.

“The one over there, by my cousin Matt,” he points out and I nod as we eat our potluck like food outside.

“Oh gotcha,” I reply and he continues to speak as I munch on my fruit and I find myself just watching the way he tells a story rather than waiting for the punch line of his story. We’ve been attached at the hip all morning, Harry and I have, and I had been grateful because I didn’t know anyone here, but Harry had made sure to keep me close and introduce me to every single person, saying I was his friend Charlie.

I asked him to introduce me as Charlotte, which was easier to remember as a girl name, but he said Charlotte was too formal and that he liked calling me that instead.

So around 2 o’clock or so, we are all eating a late lunch. Everyone’s all spread out in different places inside and outside the house due to the fact that there are far more people than the house can hold. But it sure makes things cozy.

I am a bit cold as I sit on a little bench beside Harry, chatting with one of his uncles for a few minutes before I turn to hear what they are laughing about and nudge up against Harry by accident. I’m instantly touched by the warmth of his skin and I struggle from preventing myself from curling up beside him.

Harry hardly notices as he lets out a laugh and I realize I quite like his laugh, but maybe I had already noticed before.

Soon I’m in the conversation as well when his uncle asks me about school and Gemma’s voice is the only thing that pulls me away from Harry as she calls out our names, both our names.

I gulp when I realize how close I had been to him and pull the scarf tighter around my neck as Gemma walks over to us.

“Mum’s been looking all over for you, you two actually,” she says, pointing at both of us and I immediately wonder why.

“Well, she didn’t look too hard, we’ve been right here this whole time,” Harry says and begins to get up, so I do the same thing.

“Clearly,” Gemma agrees, “she wants to take pictures of you guys.”

I give her a confused look and she looks towards Harry as if to alert him and he laughs, “my mom loves to take pictures, of everyone. We just about have a photo shoot when we are all together.”

I nod and just follow him inside, Gemma on our tail.

Sure enough, Anne gets pictures of the three of us together, and then just Gemma and Harry, and then Gemma and I, and then Harry and I, and it really feels like we are being attacked by the paparazzi, except Anne isn’t as forceful, but she’s pretty close.

“Stand there like you both like each other, as friends or whatever,” she shouts at us as Harry and I stand next to each other nearly a yard apart. I look at Harry but he’s already a stop ahead as he grabs me by the hip and pulls me against him. Again I feel his warmth like a blanket.

“They are friends mum,” Gemma points out, standing at the bottom of the stair case.

“I thought they’d be more since Harry found her worthy to bring home,” Harry’s Nan Susan says as she comes around the corner and gets held up in a traffic jam, and clearly she’s annoyed cause the look on her face says that she’s annoyed.

I bit my lip, because earlier in the morning when Harry had introduced her to me, he failed to mention that she was a very vocal old lady of whatever came to her mind. She had no filter and if she was thinking something she’d let ya know.

I hear Harry huff and he jumps away from me the second Anne puts the camera down to look over at her mom.

“No wait wait, I need one more of all you guys on the stairs,” Anne crys out, and Susan says something else about isn’t that enough pictures already, “Gem go get all the uni kids.”

Harry glances over at me and nods his head to the stairs for me to follow, “might as well get lined up.”

I follow him up and then feel awkward for being there with the family since I’m not related at all.

“Maybe I don’t have to be in this one,” I start to say and descend the stairs. In a jiffy Anne grabs my arm and wheels me back around.

“No you don’t, you go stand up there by Harry, Charlie,” I’m told and I do as I’m told as Harry’s older cousin file in and place themselves on the stairs.

“Gem, step down, Harry move your hair from your eyes, okay, Charlie steps closer to the rail. Perfect,” Anne tells us and the light and sound of her camera go off nearly six times before she says she’s done.

The chaotic, loud atmosphere transcends into the afternoon and even the early evening before people begin to depart, wishing Gemma a congrats once again before they go.

Soon enough Harry, Gemma, and I are cleaning away at some of the mess on the dinner table and putting all the leftover food away.

“Looks like I don’t have to cook for the next month,” Anne says excitedly as she walks into the room to observe our cleaning.

“Great mom, that’s just what I want to hear after finally being home in forever, that I’ll be getting no home cooked meals,” Gemma pretends to complain. Harry appears a bit more serious though.

“If you’re serious I’ll start dropping food and lower the food supply right now,” he threatens making his mom laugh.

“Just kidding. These two need to lighten up,” Anne says to me as she sticks her thumbs out towards her children.

I look at Harry and he gives me a goofy smile, and honestly this kid is nothing but light. 

It’s not until six o’clock that Harry and I are putting our bags back in his car and saying goodbye to everyone before we make the drive back to school.

We find things to talk about the whole way back and there’s hardly a beat of silence between us. He easily says something that makes me laugh, and I say something back that makes him almost drive off the road due to the fact that he shuts his eyes and forces back a good chuckle.There are gum wrappers from throwing them back and forth at one another, but it's one of the best weekends I've had in awhile.

I'm almost sad for him to drop me off.

I offer to help clean up his car floor, but he doesn't let me, he just thanks me again for coming along with him, and I say he's welcome, and I want to say that I would do it again in a heart beat.

Right after Harry drops me off, just as I'm walking inside my door, Zayn texts me, asking how my weekend was.

I have a big smile on my face when I text back saying it was great.


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which it's art week, so Charlie finally gets to draw Harry, but then he goes and ruins everything.

All I have on my mind is finals, because they are coming up in a few weeks and I actually just want them to be here already so that we can finally be out of school for the upcoming holidays.

And even though I'll still have to stick things out for another few weeks, I'm still extremely busy and stressed out, but thankfully creating more art pieces and riding my bike is helping me distress a bit.

“We can start riding everyday if you want,” Niall suggests as we help Zayn build the giant canvas he will have to put up on the wall in order to spray paint it. Mostly it's just Zayn and I building it though because Niall is bad with the staple gun. Plus he's kind of too busy taking candid pictures of us when we're not looking. Supposedly he's really into photography now.

“I would have to have free time for that Niall, and right now, I don’t," I explain and he just makes an 'oh' face.

“It’s just cause it’s your first term Charlie, it’ll get better,” Zayn reminds me and I nod, cause I dearly hope he’s right.

“The hard work will be worth it to,” Niall says, throwing two cents in to be helpful. I just smile at him and go back to taping down the wooden posts for Zayn before he staples them together.

We keep this up for the remainder of the afternoon and Perrie comes over with coffees to give us a caffeine rush, and even though Zayn knows I like tea he pretends like it's nothing when I pretend to drink my coffee. But he's secretly laughing at me behind Niall and Perrie's back.

;

My final for my anatomy drawing class is due in a few weeks and I’ve yet to muster the courage to ask Harry if I can draw him.

I've thought of other options and stuff. I have a bunch of plans B,C, and D, but my only plan for plan A is asking Harry.

"I'm sure you've had multiple opportunities to ask him," Eleanor says, cause for some reason I told her I was thinking about asking Harry if I could draw him, but only because I needed to talk to someone about it. Plus my chances of discussing it with Zayn were slim since he would most likely just smirk and stare at me like he was all knowing. And he was.

It was driving me crazy just thinking about it though, just like that Britney Spears song.

Every time I saw Harry and caught a glimpse of the way his shirt hung over his collarbones, or saw one of his tattoos peaking out beneath his flannel, I just wanted to draw him. I pretty much could not stand to look at him at all, and I had already been terrible at it before and at controlling my eyes on him.

I couldn't control myself from thinking about drawing his tattoos and how I could do some sort of collage of black and white paintings of him.

So it was all perfectly planned out in my mind and to refrain from exploding inside, I had spilled the beans to Eleanor.

"Not really," I reply back to Eleanor, but she doesn't look like she believes me. I wish I could let her be but she won't let me be, as she looks through recipes on Pinterest, ones she can make for her family back home.

"Well I'm sure you can just go ask him and he'd be more than happy to," she tells me, but of course I already know this.

And it's weird because the fact that I knew Harry would be more than willing to help me should have made this thing even easier to do. It should have been no problem at all for me to just go ask him. But it wasn't any easier.

"I guess so, yeah maybe I will," I pretend to conclude and see El rolls her eyes at me, but I pretend studying for my art history exam in two weeks is more important, so I turn my mind back to my book.

But the next day I just can't shake the need to just go over to Harry's place and ask him if I can draw him. And I won't take no for an answer and I'll kidnap the boy if I have to, which sounded dramatic but that's how much I just wanted to fucking draw him.

So an hour later or so, I find myself in front of his door, showing up unexpectedly, but it’s because I didn’t want to ask him by text or over the phone, I wanted to ask him in person, but I knew I wouldn’t see him over the next few days. So basically I was desperate.

“Charlie? Hey Charlie,” Harry says, greeting me with a smile after I knock on his door and he opens it.

“Uh…hi,” I reply, seeing him in a pair of practice shorts and no shirt. And of course he just had to not be wearing a shirt. I was sure he was only doing it because he knew it was me at the door. It was foolish to think something like this but it was ridiculous how often this kid walked around without a shirt. I mean we lived in bloody England after all!

I don't let my eyes skim his chest though, so I push my way inside and he just shuts the door behind me.

“What’s up?” he asks, when I turn around and face him, already becoming slightly immune to the tan on his skin, but only slightly.

“I just, I, I have to ask you something,” I announce, and then randomly wonder if Louis is home, “Wait is Louis home?”

“Is that your question,” he says with a chuckle looking at me looking flustered, so he answers my question instead of joking, “no he’s not.”

I nod and try looking everywhere but Harry’s face, because I’m very nervous about asking him my question. But I decide to just man up and ask him.

“I was just wondering if, for my art final, if you would-,” I mumble, not sure at all how to word this to him, “I was wondering if you would let me draw you.”

Harry’s eyebrows raise a bit, the right more than the left, and he sets his arms loosely over his chest just standing there staring at me.

“Sure,” he agrees with a nod, and then looks down at himself, “what like right now?”

This time my eyebrows raise, “wait, what, no, not like right now.” I stutter, “but yeah, you will?”

“Sure Charlotte, yeah,” he agrees again, actually smiling this time, “I’d be honored.”

Honored? Well that was one way for him to take it I guess.

I just nod, really slowly, taking in the realization that I’ll finally get to draw him the way I want to. Up close and right at my fingertips, and the thought is like a drug. It takes over my whole nervous system and I try to will my breathing to return to normal.

“Okay.”

“Just tell me when and where,” he tells me and again I just nod. He watches me and probably comes to the conclusion I’m not gonna talk about it anymore so he clears his throat and moves away from me, “so you want some tea or something?”

“Um, yeah, okay,” I agree and can feel my heart beat slowing back down to normal, "as long as you put a shirt on."

;

I clearly don’t even know what I’ve gotten into by asking Harry if I could draw him for my final project, because I was nervous just thinking about him coming over and taking off his shirt and letting my draw him. Clearly I didn’t think any of this through.

My plan was to do a series of mixed media creations of close up shots of his body and tattoos and arrange them into one single piece. I would makes a collage of sorts. It sounded simple enough, but I was having a hard time staying focused the second Harry walks through my door and sits on the couch.

He’s got a little smile on his face as I come over to him and he asks what exactly he’ll need me to do.

“Um, just some different poses and I’ll sketch them out, kind of like in class, but I’ll be, closer, to you this time,” I say and he nods, as I walk over to my desk to retrieve my sketch book and pencils, “is that alright?”

“Sure yeah,” he nods, “so do I take my shirt off now or now?”

I don’t even get a chance to respond before he’s unbuttoning the already low buttoned striped shirt he has on, pulling it off his shoulders and draping it over the couch. He looks away from me for a moment and when our eyes meet again I feel like melting to a small puddle in front of him.

“Do you want me to stand or?”

I pill my eyes off him and motion over to a stool in the kitchen, “can you sit on one of these?”

“Course,” he tells me and walks ahead of me to grab the seat.

I demand myself not to look at his back and instead focus on the chair, making sure it’s functional as a stool or something. I'm doing everything I can to keep my thoughts in check and to keep myself calm.

He sits down and wiggles around in the seat until he clearly looks ready to be drawn.

So I really don’t let myself feel shy or anything. I stand pretty close and draw the outline of his back, and then a side profile of him, making sure to study his tattoos like a math problem, until I can practically see the ink when I close my eyes.

I blink a few times and when I open my eyes again, Harry’s turned his face towards me.

“I’m sorry if I’m awkward,” Harry he’s making a face that looks like he’s petrified.

Awkward? Harry screamed awkward, but it was weird because his body completely contradicted that. There was nothing awkward about his build and his muscles and his entire body. His legs were long but they fit him, and his hands were large, but you could tell he'd only use them to hold someone's hand. It was weird because when it came to his body, there was nothing awkward about him at all. I guess the balance between his personality and appearance was a balance that made Harry Styles unique.

I just let out a little laugh and push his jaw so he’ll turn his face away so that I can continue drawing his outline, but he turns back to me again.

“Did you really want to draw me, or was I like a last resort thing?” he asks, making me drop my hand with the pencil in it to the side.

It's a weird question, because he says it as if he's been thinking about it for awhile, or had at least thought about it before. It kind of makes me sad to think Harry thought he was a last resort sort of thing. Since that wasn't the case at all I want to tell him so and set the record straight.

I consider telling him it’s been a dream of mine to draw him, and here I was finally having the chance, but I was too nervous to tell him my secret. Plus it was a little too crazy to blurt that sort of thing out to him, and it would probably scare him off.

“Definitely a last resort,” I say with a serious face, only because I know he'll see through my lie, and sure enough my words make him break into a smile.

I ignore his gaze and finish up drawing a side profile. Then I step in front of him, because this is what I really had been thinking about drawing. I pull my pencil back to my paper and wonder just where to start in capturing the birds on his chest perfectly and the years that dot over his collarbones.

“Sorry, if I’m too close,” I utter, and try to bury my focus in my work.

“That’s not possible,” he mumbles back.

I nod and just work on a light sketch of his body before becoming overwhelmed by him, by everything that Harry is.

I do a few more sketches of his tattoos and conclude I probably shouldn't drag this out any longer.

“I think, that we may be done,” I announce and look up to see Harry’s been staring at me all along.

He nods and gives me a little smile before I turn around and set down my things.

We’re both silent as I put my art supplies back and Harry puts his shirt back on.

“Perfect timing, cause Niall wanted me to give him a ride home from the grocery store,” Harry says making me turn around. He’s looking at his phone and holding it up as if to show Niall’s message, but I really can’t see it from here.

“Great,” I reply and follow him to the door.

“Hope I was an okay model,” he tells me, pulling the door open.

“You were,” I say, “and thank you so much for doing it.”

“Of course Char,” he replies, but before he leaves I speak again.

“And you weren’t my last resort,” I kind of blurt out, making him almost freeze. I rock on my heels and debate between joking about it and just fessing up. For some reason, I fess up, “you were definitely my first choice.”

Harry just smiles even bigger at my words and bows his head a bit, “again, I’m honored.”

We both say bye and I watch him walk away before I shut the door and lean my back up against it, unable to get his cinnamon skin to leave my mind.

;

During the second to last week of school before the holidays, art week is held, so really finals and art stuff just blend together and everyone’s running on no sleep and caffeine and everyone’s going insane.

I’ve hardly seen anyone besides Eleanor and Niall in a week, well besides Harry who makes sure to keep up with all our routine hang outs, but I know he needs to be home studying.

“It’s fine, I need a break, it’s fine,” he tells me at our local smoothie hang out. He’s got bags under his eyes and tells me he missed his earlier class to study for his history final the next day.

“Okay,” I say and try to chat with him about something that will get his mind off his studies.

“I think I just really need a back massage. Do you know anyone who gives them?” he asks. I nearly gap at him because what kind of question is that?

“No, I don’t, sorry,” I tell him, suddenly wondering if I’m qualified to give massages.

“Damn,” he replies and drums his fingers on the side of his cup, “so…do I get to see the final product of your drawings of me?”

Instead of gaping at him this time, I narrow my eyes because he’s wearing a big smile and I want to punch him.

“Probably never,” I say with a wiggle of my nose.

“What why?” he sighs and I just shrug.

“Cause I don’t have copies, I just have the final thing that I already turned in,” I explain to him and he looks super bummed out, but he also looks like he understands.

“Fine then. I’ll have to have Zayn draw me a picture so I can actually keep it,” he says and I laugh at the image of Zayn drawing Harry.

“Speaking of Zayn, what time are you going to his mural thing?” I ask Harry, because I’ve promised Zayn I’ll be there all afternoon, which will be like four hours, so I want to make sure our friends are coming to visit frequently.

“I get out of my exam at 2, so I’ll go straight over there,” he says and I nod.

“You feel good about all your studying?” I ask and he makes a face.

“Don’t talk about studying, my head might explode,” he says and drops his forehead onto his arm resting on the table.

“Sorry sorry, I know you’ll do good though,” I reassure him, rubbing his arm.

He brings his chin up on his bicep and looks at me with lazy eyes, “thanks Char.”

;

“It looks amazing Zayn, I swear!” I shout standing across the sidewalk to look at the outline of Zayn’s sketch from afar.

Zayn’s a bit of a perfectionist when it comes to his work, so he keeps asking my opinion and then ignoring my words to do whatever he is thinking in his head. In fact this all feels like deja vu because even when he was just working on the outline of his mural, he was asking me for advice and then he would hardly take it. And who knows if he even took it into consideration, but at least he was sort of listening to me when I told him what colors I felt he could use.

It made me remember back to when we were younger and Zayn always wanted to do things the way he wanted. He never wanted to reenact power ranger scenes and instead would make up his own. Even when I wanted to play My Little Ponies he would insist on making them have different powers or talents or whatever. Zayn was just very unique ever since he was a kid. I think it's what made me want to be his best friend from the start.

We’ve been here for less than an hour, but Zayn’s had a steady crowd to watch him work. I’m practically his assistant as he works. I hand him a new spray can or brush, or anything he asks really, like his water or a snack.

Eventually Louis and Eleanor show up and I slack off on my work because I begin to chat with them while Zayn grabs his own spray paints.

“He’s very focused he is,” Louis says, crossing his arms as he looks at the painting like he’s judging it. Not harder than Zayn's judging it though.

“Yeah,” I reply.

I push my hair behind my ear and look around at the crowd to see Harry come bounding across the quad, his hair looking extra disheveled. He waves and I wave back, making Louis whip around.

“Hey Harry!” he calls out and Harry speeds up as he makes his way over, “how was your exam?”

“I think I aced it!” Harry cheers, high-fiving Louis and then coming over to me unexpectedly to hug me. I hug him back but step away from him when I catch Eleanor narrowing her eyes at us.

“That’s great, cheers!” Louis says and they talk about how they are both completely done with finals and are rather excited about it.

Louis is more excited about his birthday coming up next week though. In fact it was all he had been talking about since I'd seen him.

Zayn calls me back over and asks me to help hold his rough sketch up so he can use both hands and I do so, watching the other three chat among themselves. Another thirty minutes later and Zayn’s going crazy looking for his can of metallic paint.

“You mean the one on your shelf?” Harry asks when he walks over to us and Zayn nods immediately. Zayn's so worried he ignores Harry's greeting.

“Shit yeah, that’s where I left it,” he says and rubs his head.

“Well I can go get it,” Harry suggests like the helpful little egg he is.

"Can you take Charlie with you?" he asks, turning his eyes to me unexpectedly, "need you to bring me those extra canvas'."

"Oh alright," I say and grab my bag.

Zayn fishes his keys out of his pocket and tosses them to me, "be quick yeah?"

I nod but Harry says something about how we're gonna take the long route. It's not till Harry and I start walking away that we realize we'll have to actually walk all the way to Zayn's house, since I don't have a car and Harry walked to his exam straight from his place. So we may actually be taking a long route.

"As long as it doesn't rain, I think we'll be good," Harry tells me, putting his hands in his pockets as he turns his face into his thick coat.

We walk quickly to Zayn's place and I let us inside.

I hurry to his room where I know his extra canvases are and turn to look over at the shelf where I expect Harry to be grabbing the other spray paints, but he isn't there.

"Harry?" I call out and walk back into the hallway to find him in front of the fridge.

"Do you think Zayn has any apple juice?" he asks with his back to me.

I groan loudly and he turns around, "what?" he asks holding his palms up.

"Will you just go get the paints!" I shout and Harry shuts the fridge in a hurry.

He nearly runs over to the shelf and finds the paints Zayn wants and then we are out the door.

"Oh hey, are you taking that drawing class 430 or something like that?" Harry asks as we walk back through the campus.

I recall what art classes I'm signed up for the next semester, and though I'm sure the title of the class is wrong, I am pretty sure that I am taking that class.

"I think I am, yeah," I say, "why?"

"Cause guess what, they asked me to model for that class also," he says and I instantly sulk as I walk, because even though I've had the chance to draw Harry the way I wanted to, I don't think I'll be able to stand drawing him in class for another whole semester.

;

The upcoming holidays bring Louis’ birthday as well, which is a big deal to everyone, mostly to Louis though. Eleanor says she’s got this big celebration planned out for him before we all head home for the holidays and I’m pretty excited as well. The party isn't until Saturday night, so I've been trying to plan things to do in the meantime, since I'm done with schoolwork.

“What are you doing Friday night?” I ask Zayn with a sigh when he says he’s busy, because I finally have a full Friday off, but he claims he can’t hang out with me.

“All us guys are supposed to be getting together with Louis, pre b-day celebration or something,” he explains while scrolling through his phone.

“Oh gosh,” I say and roll my eyes, and of course Louis would want two nights of partying in a row. He's probably using the excuse of being done with classes as well, not that he needed an excuse to party or anything.

"It'll be harmless," Zayn says, but I know he's just saying that because he's taken and probably wouldn't try anything, unlike some of the other boys.

"Like all you guys?"

"Yeah."

“Well Niall better still be on for our bike ride tomorrow morning,” I groan and decide to text him right then and there to make sure of his plans.

“Sure he will be, he recovers from hangovers quite quickly,” Zayn tells me. “mind if we go outside so I can smoke?”

“Alright,” I reply and grab my coat and beanie.

I sit on the bench outside Zayn’s place while he walks back and forth and I know he’s gotta be a bit stressed out because he only smokes a few times a week and never in the middle of the day like this, but I’ve learned not to say anything to him about it.

I feel my phone vibrate and see it’s from Niall.

-Yeah I still wanna bike, but I’ll be at Harry that morning and my bikes there to, so meet me there?-

-Okay great, sounds good!- I text back.

;

That Saturday morning I wake up late, nearly spill my tea all over my leggings, and get my shoe caught in my pedal on the ride across campus. And really it's all foreshadowing what's to come.

I ride my bike to Harry’s and lock it up besides Niall’s when he calls me.

I recognize he's using his nervous voice as soon as I say hello.

“Hey Charlie um, hey I’m gonna have to reschedule the bike ride cause-,”

“What?! Niall I’m outside the door already!” I exclaim, pulling my beanie farther down my forehead as I jog up the steps, trying to decipher Niall’s mumbling.

“You’re here? Ah shit…”his voice trails off and he sounds near panic but I don’t even care because my mornings already been crappy.

“Yeah, can you let me in?” I ask, knocking on the door loudly.

“Yeah…yeah okay,” Niall says and hangs up on me.

A few moments later the door opens and Niall’s hair is clearly disheveled like he’s been tugging at it cause he’s nervous and he doesn’t really look ready to go on a bike ride.

“Charlie uh listen, uh…” Niall mumbles quietly, but my voice overpowers him.

“Have you made tea, because I nearly scorched myself making some for me earlier, and then I nearly tore off my shoe lace on my bike pedal,” I start to rant looking at Niall who’s still wearing wide eyes, “what’s wrong?”

“Listen, Harry got completely smashed last night and um…”

I’m listening to him when suddenly we hear noise coming from the closed bedroom door. The bedroom I know to be Harry’s.

I glance at Niall and then back at the door when it opens and a girl I’ve never seen before steps out, clearly looking like she’s just woken up.

My mouth opens as she walks towards us, with smeared makeup and messy hair and all, having to go past us to get to the door.

My jaw is on the floor as I watch her.

“Hi, uh, you must be Niall, and...” she girl says, looking at Niall and then turning her cold eyes onto me just as I see Harry burst through his door, throwing a t shirt over his head.

“Charlie’s you’re...you’re here?” Harry says in terror, looking like he’s just committed a murder and is being caught. And I feel as if I’ve witnessed it.

“Oh this is Charlie?” she girl says, pointing her thumb at me and then laughing a little bit at Harry, who’s eyes are just wide. I wonder what the heck she means and am about to ask her, but I’m thrown off as she just looks between us before leaving. She doesn’t say anything else before she walks to the front door and slams it shut behind her.

I watch Harry wince, but his eyes are still on me.

And I know that look on his face. It’s defeat and it’s betrayal, and I don’t know why I feel angry, even angrier than I was before I arrived here and witnessed who he had as his one night stand. But I just feel like punching a wall. The fact that he looks like an injured puppy doesn’t make me feel any better either.

“Charlie I-,”

“C’mon Niall,” I say, breaking my eyes off of Harry. And I really really don’t even want to hear what he has to say.

When I glance at Niall he’s awaken from looking at the two of us and he opens his mouth to speak but no words come out.

“C’mon Niall!” I say louder and head for the door. I know Niall’s on my heels because I hear his steps behind me, but I don’t spare Harry another glance as we walk out. Luckily Niall gets to close the door behind us because I would have slammed it so hard behind me it probably would have broken off the hinges.

I don’t even realize how fast I’m pedaling once we're on our bikes, until Niall says he wants to take a break.

“Why?” I ask.

“Cause my legs are gonna fall off,” he says and finally I slow down and pull over to the side of the bike path.

“Look, if you’re gonna try to talk to me about what we saw back there, I don’t wanna hear about it,” I say right off the bat, because I know Niall’s gonna try to say something for Harry’s actions, but there is no need.

“I, uh, alright, I wasn’t.”

“Cause I don’t give a fuck who Harry fucks,” I say loudly, looking at Niall and then the ground and my shoes.

“He hadn’t fucked anyone in a while actually,” Niall feels the need to say, making me stare at him hard, “just saying.”

I shake my head though, because he’s talking nonsense.

"Well I don't care," I announce.

"He cares though."

"What?"

Again, I stare at him hard.

"Harry cares that you care or don't care?" Niall tries to explain, only making me feel angrier.

"What the hell does that even mean?" I shout.

"It means he didn’t want you to see him, with a girl.”

I roll my eyes just cause I can and dramatically throw my arms up.

“Well why? Why is he ashamed, I know he’s like that and-,” I ramble on and glance at Niall who’s just staring back at me with dead eyes, “What!?”

“You’re so blind Charlie,” he tells me, pinching his nose with his fingers as he shakes his head.

“Huh?”

“The two of you are so in denial, I just can’t believe it,” Niall says, and I think he’s talking more to himself because he sounds kind of flabbergasted by this whole thing. I don't even know how to ask him to explain things though before he's getting back on his bike and riding off. I'm left there with a pout on my face and I chew on my lower lip, wishing I knew what he was even talking about.

;

I spend the whole afternoon lounging around the flat, putting my makeup up, curling my hair, painting my nails maroon, and deciding what dress to wear tonight, but I don't even feel excited about a thing. I'm in the flat alone because Eleanor is already with Louis, so basically I've been sulking around by my lonesome.

Eleanor knew something was up with me before she left, but I claimed I was fine.

I guess Niall must have told Zayn about me nearly breaking down yesterday, because Zayn calls me to say he’s coming over early to pick me up for Louis’ party tonight, but I realize as soon as he’s in my door that it’s because he wants to talk to me.

I roll my eyes when he asks me what’s wrong, because I didn’t feel there was anything wrong. Or at least there was nothing wrong that should have made me upset.

“Nothing Zayn."

“Doesn’t sound like nothing."

I groan.

“I swear it’s nothing, I’m fine, it’s just-,” I groan messing with my eyelashes as an excuse to look down. I feel the couch move beside me and look to my left to see Zayn sitting there. I roll my eyes again, because he’s always been a way better friend than I deserved. Especially at times when I'm upset over nothing.

“Charlie, just talk to me.”

“I don’t even know what to talk about though,” I admit, “I have no idea where to start.”

Zayn pats my leg to earn my eyes again and just shrugs, “tell me why you’re upset with Harry.”

I drop my shoulders and stare at him, because he seems to know what’s bothering me more than I even know. I mean I know it has to do with Harry, but I didn’t know why. I didn’t know why I was still upset with seeing that girl walk out of his room, and seeing him looking guilty. It must have been a combination of all those things as to why Harry just wasn’t sitting right in my mind.

“Cause he…I don’t know. I feel like we’re becoming good friends, and then he goes and does something that makes me question that,” I start to try and explain.

“What has he done this time?” Zayn asks.

I chew on the inside of my cheek and debate telling him straight out that seeing Harry with that girl is the foundation for all of this. But then that will make Zayn think I have feelings for Harry or something, and I was sure I didn’t, and all this was just a result of finding him attractive but not attractive like I wanted to date him or anything.

Maybe if I talk about it with Zayn though I can figure out why I feel the way I do.

“Just…gosh if I tell you this you can’t tell him anything Zayn, okay?” I confess looking at him with begging eyes.

“Okay Charlie, I promise,” I says, turning towards me even more.

“I feel like such a girl for saying this…but, just Harry does certain things and it makes me wonder if I have a crush on him or not, and I’m not saying I do, because I really really just want to be friends with him and only that, but sometimes I feel jealous and then I want to slap myself,” I admit in about three seconds flat, with my face hiding behind my hands. I look up at Zayn with my eyes barely open and he’s just listening, “is that, normal?”

“I think so yeah,” he tells me, “why do you only want to be friends with him though?”

“Because…we’re just not compatible like that,” I say slowly.

“So you’ve thought about this before?”

I shrug, but Zayn seems to already know the answer.

“Charlie, Harry’s a flirt, you’re well aware of that. But he’s genuine with you, like more genuine than I’ve ever seen him with a girl,” Zayn says, and my palms feel sweaty all of a sudden, “I know you won’t believe me if I tell you, but, I’m pretty sure he has a crush on you.”

My eyes widen and a weird sound leaves my mouth, because Zayn’s got to be joking, because there’s no way that Harry could ever ever have a crush on someone like me.

There's just no way.

“Whattt? Zayn, you’re kidding me right?” I say letting out a sharp laugh.

“I’m just telling you how I see it Charlie."

Yeah, well he's seeing it wrong.

“No there’s no way, don’t lie about that,” I say in denial and Zayn just nods as if he’s done trying to convince me.

“Why would I lie? Why don’t you believe me?” he asks, his voice raising like mine already has.

I laugh a bit, because there’s a whole list of reasons why I believe Harry doesn’t like me, and it’s as plain and simple as the fact that we are each other’s types.

“I’m not remotely Harry’s type, there’s just no way he could be interested in me as more than friends,” I say, trying to sound calm.

“Not his type. What is his type then?”

Where do I even start?

“I don’t know, a girl who’s slightly a nerd like him, and who isn’t shy and is confident with herself and can stand up to him,” I list off, then glance at Zayn. For some reason all these qualities depress me, because it makes me realize I don't fit the bill, “pretty much the opposite of me.”

Zayn touches my shoulder, squeezing my arm as he looks at me seriously.

“Fine fine, believe what you want, you guys will never admit it to each other anyways, so forget it,” he says and stands up, but I don’t exactly feel like we’re done talking here.

“What do you mean to each other?” I groan, “Zayn I don’t like Harry like that!”

Zayn just nods and runs his fingers over the top of his hair, turning around to look at me as he heads for the door.

“Okay okay, I believe you” he tells me giving me a smile I know is fake, “let’s get going.”

I nearly drag my feet out the door behind him, and I feel that talking with Zayn didn’t help me at all. But I know something that can help me, and it comes in the form of a mixed drink.


End file.
